As a business owner you have no doubt seen and read plenty to suggest that your business needs to be using social media. There are many reasons for doing so, and they need to be the right reasons too. If you have decided to use social media for your business you need to be aware right from the start that it is time consuming and needs regular commitment.
If you have been sticking with more traditional methods of advertising, such as taking an ad in your local paper or magazine you will no doubt have support in crafting your copy which you approve, and many a set of eyes scanning over your copy or reading and taking action. If you are doing your own social media activity then the chances are that you will be researching, creating and crafting your content. An alternative would be to outsource.
It is very easy to spend more time than you bargained for on social media. There’s a plethora of information, funny pics, quotes, attention grabbing headlines to be distracted by. Believe me, I know. My working day is spent juggling between research, crafting and scheduling within the social media sphere.
Here are a few tips to help tame the social media beast
Planning
Spend time planning what you are going to say and how you are going to say it. Does a picture or video say a lot more than words? Work with 1 or 2 platforms and work them well. There is no need to be on every platform, this generally leads to social media apathy where a business will share the same post on a variety of social networking sites from a scheduling platform. This in the long run looks lazy. I work with a lot of messages and updates from my clients and I spend time planning and crafting to suit the platforms that I am posting to.
Committed time
If you are going to spend time within the social media spheres work with a list. If you are planning out each week what you are going to say, how and when you are going to say it then work only to what is on that to do list. The minute you start scrolling through your Facebook posts, Twitter stream, pretty Pins, I guarantee you will be click on something. Stay on track. I keep a blank sheet open, so that if I see something that I want to read later I copy and paste those links over and read through them later. Get into the habit of spending committed time to social media to plan, craft, post, engage, and research for your business.
Thoughtful
Your content, communication, posts need to be relevant and appropriate to your audience. Me telling my followers that I have taken my dog to the vet is of no relevance. But me taking my dog to the vet who has during my visit expressed a desire for some social media help is relevant.
Connect and Engage
Social media provides an opportunity for 2 way communication. You are now suddenly on the social media front line. You have crafted posts and placed them to social networking sites. It doesn’t end there. If someone engages or asks a question, you need to be available to respond. It is not an avenue where you just post information, social media closes a big gap between you and potential customers and a generally much wider audience and you need to be quick to respond.
While accessing many social media networking sites are free to participate in, time easily passes by and for many of us, time is money. Embracing a bit of discipline right from the start will keep your use of social media cost effective.
Yours socially
Micala
If you have been sticking with more traditional methods of advertising, such as taking an ad in your local paper or magazine you will no doubt have support in crafting your copy which you approve, and many a set of eyes scanning over your copy or reading and taking action. If you are doing your own social media activity then the chances are that you will be researching, creating and crafting your content. An alternative would be to outsource.
It is very easy to spend more time than you bargained for on social media. There’s a plethora of information, funny pics, quotes, attention grabbing headlines to be distracted by. Believe me, I know. My working day is spent juggling between research, crafting and scheduling within the social media sphere.
Here are a few tips to help tame the social media beast
Planning
Spend time planning what you are going to say and how you are going to say it. Does a picture or video say a lot more than words? Work with 1 or 2 platforms and work them well. There is no need to be on every platform, this generally leads to social media apathy where a business will share the same post on a variety of social networking sites from a scheduling platform. This in the long run looks lazy. I work with a lot of messages and updates from my clients and I spend time planning and crafting to suit the platforms that I am posting to.
Committed time
If you are going to spend time within the social media spheres work with a list. If you are planning out each week what you are going to say, how and when you are going to say it then work only to what is on that to do list. The minute you start scrolling through your Facebook posts, Twitter stream, pretty Pins, I guarantee you will be click on something. Stay on track. I keep a blank sheet open, so that if I see something that I want to read later I copy and paste those links over and read through them later. Get into the habit of spending committed time to social media to plan, craft, post, engage, and research for your business.
Thoughtful
Your content, communication, posts need to be relevant and appropriate to your audience. Me telling my followers that I have taken my dog to the vet is of no relevance. But me taking my dog to the vet who has during my visit expressed a desire for some social media help is relevant.
Connect and Engage
Social media provides an opportunity for 2 way communication. You are now suddenly on the social media front line. You have crafted posts and placed them to social networking sites. It doesn’t end there. If someone engages or asks a question, you need to be available to respond. It is not an avenue where you just post information, social media closes a big gap between you and potential customers and a generally much wider audience and you need to be quick to respond.
While accessing many social media networking sites are free to participate in, time easily passes by and for many of us, time is money. Embracing a bit of discipline right from the start will keep your use of social media cost effective.
Yours socially
Micala
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