We debated whether we should make the title of this blog stronger and state these tips “will” improve your social media.
But we can't make that guarantee.
Social media, much like the rest of marketing, is a tricky beast to handle. There is no perfect approach and more can always be done!
The opposite is what you tend to hear people say, though. The “gurus” shout about how social media is a quick fix and there is a set formula for success.
But, back in reality, this isn’t the case.
What we’re going to do is run through some things you can do to give yourself the best chance of success. Some fundamentals, if you like.
Social Media Fundamentals
Give yourself time
This is important from two points of view.
Firstly, the short-term.
If you’re going to be successful on social media, you need to set time aside to give it some attention.
Too often, it falls to the bottom of the list. And we know because that used to be the case for us. We were busy getting on with client work and would often put off working on our own channels. It wasn’t until we added ourselves as a client to our project management systems that we started to turn it around.
Now, planning for and updating our social media channels no longer gets booted to next week, and then the week after, and then the week after that.
The other aspect of “giving yourself time”, is in the long term.
Yes, you might go viral overnight, but that’s unlikely.
As with so many other aspects of life, overnight successes are rare. Even those that we think are overnight successes have been years in the making.
It’s the same with social media. If you’re prepared to play the long game, then you’ll have stronger foundations. And who knows, you might still go viral!
Make it part of your routine
One of the main reasons that many organisations don’t give social media the attention it deserves is because it’s one entry on a very long to-do list.
The best way to ensure this doesn’t happen is by making a conscious effort to make it a part of your routine.
By setting reminders to get that picture at the event you’re attending, carving out half an hour in your calendar each Friday to plan next week’s content or opening up your company profiles first thing in the morning to check the notifications, these things will eventually become second nature.
By consciously making an effort to do these things over the short term, they will eventually become embedded in your routine over the long term, ensuring your social media presence is never neglected.
Sell less
Yes, social media can be used as a sales tool. But, we see its role as being, predominantly, a tool to build awareness, interest and desire for your brand.
Why?
Well, be honest with yourself! When you open social media, are you looking to be sold the latest innovation from ABC Ltd? Or, are you looking to be distracted? Entertained? Informed? Connect with friends and family?
We’re not saying, don’t sell on social media. We’re just saying to do it less.
We go into more detail about this in w.
Show, don’t tell
You can tell people how great your product or service is until you’re blue in the face. But the chances are, they won’t believe you.
Why?
Well, you’re going to say you're great, aren’t you?
What you need to do is show people, rather than tell them. And this is across the board with any messaging you want to communicate.
It’s better to showcase your attributes and let the audience come to their own conclusions.
Here’s an example of how we’ve implemented this approach for a client.
Engage with other people
Our final tip is to focus on other people.
Yes, you should use social media as a shop window for your brand, but there are other uses for it too.
Find your audience, suppliers and other stakeholders and get involved with their content. Show them a bit of love, build that relationship and, hopefully, they will reciprocate the favour.
Just remember that social media, unlike other marketing channels, is great at facilitating two-way conversations.
I don’t know if you’ve ever tried it, but when you shout at a billboard ad, you don’t get much of a response.
Wrapping up
Social media can be tricky. We get that.
But, if you don’t give it the time and attention it deserves, you’re unlikely to see the results you want.
We’re, obviously, going to shout about how great social media is. But we appreciate it might not be everyone's cup of tea. Though, there’s one last thing we want to leave you with.
Organic social media is free. Unlike so many other advertising channels, this only costs you your time and effort. So, it’s a low-risk activity to give your attention to.
Until next time, thanks for reading.