There is so much misinformation out there about the right and wrong ways of maintaining a social media presence, and if you’re not doing it right, you may be doing your business more harm than good.
This blog post is based on a social media post I shared, and I thought I’d write an extended version of it to expand on some of the key points I mentioned in that post.
Myth #1
Some people mistakenly believe that they need to be on ALL platforms, and that’s just not true. One reason you should NOT be on every platform is that, well, it’s going to be absolutely exhausting, and targeting your ideal client/customer is going to seem very hit-and-miss.
Look, if you’re on Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, Pinterest, Instagram, Club House, LinkedIn and all the rest in between, you’re going to wear yourself out updating all of those profiles. And that’s not even the tip of the iceberg: social media is there for us to be social. We use it to connect with others, and to engage with our customers. It’s one thing to put content out there, but if ALL you’re doing it putting it out there and you’re not actually being social, it’s not really helping you or your business.
When you imagine your ideal client/customer, part of that avatar needs to include where they are hanging out on social media. Pick one, two or three platforms and stick with those – leave the rest.
Myth #2
Then there’s the whole school of thought that if you’re on social media, you don’t need to do anything else to grow your audience or customer base.
Social media should be considered a business tool, not a business solution. It should be looked at as ANOTHER way to connect with your clients/customers, rather than the ONLY way.
Myth #3
The previous myth may tie into this one, as another misconception is that if you’re on social media, you don’t need a website or an email list.
That’s simply not true.
Your business website is your store front – it’s where you should park your blog articles, services page, about page, freebie downloads and all other pertinent information about your business. It’s your home base. Everything you do on social media should either direct people to your website, OR your email list.
*Having said this, not every profession needs an email list – but it would never hurt to have one just in case.
Myth #4
We’ve all seen social media posts with endless hashtags, and with the exception of Instagram (and even they’re getting away from that), it’s just not the best way to go.
It is absolutely helpful to have a big list of hashtags for your business. A virtual assistant can do this research for you, or you can Google free hashtag tools to help you come up with that list. But don’t use them all in each post.
Instead, strategically use three or four of those hashtags with your post, then switch them for the following posts.. Rotating between them is the better bet, and can also help you to identify the best ones that lead people to your posts, and then you can use those ones more often.
Myth #5
Lastly, many people believe that they need to be posting content every day.
With the exception of Twitter, where a tweet’s lifespan is only about 2 hours, most posts are seen eventually, sometimes up to two weeks later, so no need to put out content every day.
Also, if you’re posting each and every day, it’s important to check the quality of those posts. Social media is definitely a case of quality over quantity.
In Conclusion
I’d be lying if I told you that social media doesn’t require some effort, but it shouldn’t be exhausting. It also shouldn’t be a full-time job, unless you’re a social media specialist or marketer, and that’s your profession!
In a nutshell, pick a couple of platforms where your customers are, share meaningful content once or twice per week (except Twitter – it’s cray-cray over there!), and use 3-4 effective hashtags, switching them up so you’re not always using the same ones.
I hope you’ve found these myth-busting facts helpful. 🙂
Could you use a hand with your social media? Book a free consultation call with me and we can talk about your business needs.