Facebook. Instagram. Twitter. Snapchat. Pinterest. Youtube. Yes the list of social media platforms continues to grow every year. Social media is, by far, one of the top issues that cause the most angst among new business owners. What should I post? What’s the best time? Which platforms should I focus on the most? Honestly, the answer to those questions are unique to your business and your target audience, however; here are 3 things you might be doing wrong on social right now.
1) Trying To Be Everywhere
One of my favorite sayings is “jack of all trades, master of none.” This also applies to social media. Contrary to popular belief your business does not have to be everywhere on social media. Focus on 1-2 platforms and do those extremely well. Especially if your business is still in the side-hustle stage, use your time wisely to maximize engagement on the 2 social platforms your customers are most likely to use.
Users interact with Instagram differently than Facebook and Facebook differently than Pinterest. Each social media platform is its own monster and has a set strategy for success. Trying to conquer all platforms at once AND be successful will cause burn out. Until you are at the stage of business where you can have a full social media team, try mastering one platform at a time and gradually move to the next. In the meantime, tools like Co-Schedule, Hootsuite and IFFT (my personal favorite) can also help you post to multiple social media platforms at once.
2) Your Social Isn’t Branded and Doesn’t Have A Theme
Social media platforms like Instagram and Pinterest are 100% visual. People want to be visually attracted to the content that is published and customers want to feel a connection to your brand. If someone visits your Instagram page what would be the first word that comes to their mind? Tell a story! Make it so compelling people want to stay on your social media page for several minutes and not just seconds. Below are some small changes you can make to your social media to make a huge difference.
- Post within your brand colors or same color family. Visually, this entices people to keep looking through your content. Below is an example Instagram feed I curated. Immediately I’m sure you can tell what industry this brand belongs to and you should be able to decipher the core demographic. As soon as someone lands on your page they should immediately be able to tell what your business is and what your brand represents.
Another tip: If you don’t have original content, post inspirational content and ALWAYS give photography credit. ALWAYS! But remember original content is beter.
- Separate business and personal. If you own a clothing boutique no one wants to see the dark and blurry picture of your lunch. Keep it on brand and highlight your product or service
- Can you still get personal? Of course, but make sure it fits within your branded theme. Or use video stories for the up-close and personal behind the scenes. Instagram stories, Snapchat, Facebook live/stories are all great ways to get personal with your audience. Post whatever you want (within reason) to stories and live while keeping your published evergreen content to your page on brand.
3) You’re Not Staying On Top of The Latest Algorithm Changes
When it comes to social media, the only thing constant is change. Algorithms change all the time and you must be prepared to roll with the punches when they do. To stay ahead of the game, don’t just nonchalantly update your social media apps without first reading what’s changing. Read the changes or do a quick google search so you are aware how this affects your use of the platform moving forward. See the example below:
In this Instagram update, Instagram announced users are now able to not just follow your page but also follow your hashtag. How amazing! If you have a large following where other users often post your hashtag this is a great way to show customer engagement. Another resource to stay up to date on the latest changes with Instagram is Later. For Facebook, Twitter, & Pinterest a quick google search will give you everything you need.
There are so many items to discuss when it comes to social and your business but these are just a few tips to get you going in the right direction. If you are interested in more social tips leave a comment below. Got questions? Feel free to ask us as well!
