So, you want to learn more about how social media works and how to use it to boost your business’ profile. In theory, this should be a pretty simple thing. You do your research, and you implement your findings, tweaking things along the way so that your actions fit your business model.
In reality, working with social media is rarely that simple. Especially if you don’t have a deep background in social media, it can be easy to get overwhelmed by the variety of information and opinions on algorithms and posting. Add to that the fact that social media is an ever-changing medium, and you might find yourself giving up on social media altogether. After all, if you can’t use it effectively, then what’s the point of using it at all?
Take a breath, and read on to find out.
Not every tip and trick has to be implemented at once.
It can be easy to get overwhelmed reading even just one article on the Instagram algorithm or crafting flawless Facebook posts. There are so many details and things that go on behind the scenes of social media platforms that can help or hurt your exposure, and you might not even know about some of these things!
That being said, you don’t have to become a social media expert overnight. Set aside an hour or two a week to do some research on the social media platforms that your business is on or that you might want to be on, and write down some key takeaways that you can realistically implement. Maybe you’ll focus on posting more often for a month and see how that affects your profile and views. Perhaps you’ll invest an extra 15 minutes a day to review and respond to comments and build virtual relationships with potential clients. It may take time to fully maximize the potential of your business’ social media accounts, but you just need to take the first step.
Your customers and viewers may know as little as you do.
It’s important to keep in mind that your followers may not know everything about social media. Most likely, they are following your business’ account to learn more about your business and to stay on top of any news regarding it. This can be something to remember when you are creating content, and it takes a certain level of pressure off of you. Unless your customers are knowledgeable about the world of social media (which depends on your business’ services and your specific customer base), they aren’t judging your posting style or frequency. Instead, they are looking for quality: quality information, quality images, and a quality investment in them as customers. Honesty and sincerity should never be underestimated on social media, and if your posts convey information and care for your customers, then you’re doing things right.
Your customers and their knowledge of social media is also something to consider when creating your content. If you are more knowledgeable about certain platforms or features than your customers are, you might want to tailor your efforts to suit them. For example, there isn’t much use in developing amazing and interactive Instagram stories if your customers aren’t very invested in that platform or aware of how Instagram stories work. On the other hand, if your customers are adept at using Facebook but you only have a baseline knowledge of the platform, you may need to invest your time in researching different features of Facebook to meet your customers’ expectations. Overall, try to meet your customers where they are at in terms of social media knowledge, but don’t be afraid to try out new platforms or features either. You may attract a whole new customer base.
Whatever you can do is still important.
Though social media can at times be frustrating to use, that doesn’t mean you should give up on it altogether. As we’ve discussed in previous posts, social media is necessary for businesses, and it’s not an excuse to not have some sort of social media presence for your business just because you don’t know how to manage it.
Whatever you can do can still be very helpful for your business. If you don’t have the energy and time to set up profiles on three different platforms right now, try starting with one. Building a Facebook page for your business is always a good place to start, and Facebook makes that fairly easy to do. Start with a weekly posting schedule, and experiment a little to get more comfortable with a new platform. In the end, you probably won’t get as many followers or as much engagement if you’re only posting a few times a month versus a few times a week. However, especially in the case of social media, doing something is much better than doing nothing, and the effort you put out will be noted.
Wreath Writing & Marketing Services 