I don't want to be used no more: How to influence social media your way
Do you use social media or does social media use you?
Social media is everywhere.
Here are some statistics (because I do like some facts and figures)
#1 3.03 BILLION people around the world are on social media - according to Biz Fell publishers of digital marketing statistics - that figure is mind bowing to me! The population of the planet right now is 7.6 billion so thats almost half!!!
#2 Locally in New Zealand there are 5 million Kiwis, of which 3.5 million are active on social media and spend 1 hour 53 minutes every day on there!!
-> some of these people are your ideal clients
#3 Social media is the most relevant advertising channel for Generation Z (born in the 1997-2012) and the Millennials (born 1981-1996) according to Wikipedia. If these people are your target market then Social Media is where they are to be found.
#4 Don’t forget the customer service. 70% of people who experience good customer service on social media, share their experience with their network.
So with all that information, it’s understandable if we think we HAVE to be on social media ALL THE TIME or we might miss out on something!
I get it FOMO happens to all of us.
When I first started out in this online biz world, I would spend hours “researching” on Facebook (my favourite social media platform at the moment) doing the oh-so-awful scroll of comparison.
I soon learnt that
Comparison is the Thief of Joy.
That knowledge didn’t completely stop me from comparing myself to others but it did help. That along with the knowledge that social media is really a highlight reel, not the whole life show.
So how do we get back the control.?
It takes a strategy, some planning and a little willpower!
Here are my 3 BEST tips to start using social media so it doesn’t use you!
1/ Go on to your social media channel with a purpose
You get to choose if you are going to be there for work or for pleasure.
If it’s pleasure by all means indulge in those cute cat videos, check-in with your friends and post your favourite breakfast.
If it’s for your business then put on your business hat and be prepared with what it is you’re going to post.
2/ Give yourself a time limit.
If you set yourself up a meeting time, with an agenda prior to opening your app then you are way ahead of the game Having all your posts ready, your videos or notes for going live in front of you makes the process so much more streamlined.
A TIP: I received from a colleague to help with “the algorithm” (there’s a can of worms that shouldn’t be opened in this article - maybe another time!!!) is when you plan your social media session, add 10- 15 minutes before AND after posting, to make comments on other pages.
Make these relevant to your work. They could be other business groups where you can offer helpful hints.
Or personal saying Happy Birthday to friends (just don’t get stuck in the cat video spiral)!
3/ Keep it simple
Choose the best platform/s for you and your business.
HINT: This is where your ideal client hangs out and it’s also usually where you feel most comfortable.
You may have multiple personal social media accounts that you use and that’s great. If not or you are starting out on this online world I would recommend choosing one channel.
Get really consistent about showing up there. When it’s second nature then branch out to the others if you want to
I would recommend that you go to all the platforms and grab your business name.
You definitely don’t have to use them but they’ll be there for you when you are ready. Or you can set up a single post saying - I don’t post here, but you can find me here. Then send them to your website!
BONUS TIP:
If you don’t trust yourself to stick to a time limit or go down that rabbit hole and spend more than your 1 hour 53 min per day on your social media then you may want to consider using a Social Media Scheduler.
This is a tool where you can set up your posts without even going on to the channel that sucks your time. There are so many to choose from and each has its own pros and cons.
I use FaceBookCreatorStudio, Buffer and Later.com the most.
All have free versions.
If you are still struggling and really want to free up loads more of your time to work on the business stuff you love, then your other options are to work with a content strategist like me who can help schedule your posts for you.
Meaning you can relax knowing your message is going out to your audience and you can focus on your zone of genius, or simply reply to your audience or watch another cat video!
Social Media can be a place where time really does get away from you.
Where you end up drained and never having achieved all that much or it can be an incredible tool to get your message out to the online world!
For me the beginning of me using social media and not the other way around were
these 3 things:
1/ Going on with a purpose
2/ Setting a time limit - ( the alarm on your phone works well)
3/ Choosing one platform to focus on
You can go that step further and be really deliberate and create your own content management strategy.
This is what I do and have done for my clients.
It is a simple system that provides a framework for your social media presence, frees up your time and helps you sleep better at night, knowing that your message is getting to your audience!
Social media can be an incredibly powerful tool for your business. Follow those 3 easy tips and you will be on your way to influencing social media your way!
If having a simple content management strategy sounds like something you would be keen to explore then I would love to hear from you.
You can easily jump on a call with me here.
Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash
