Hey there! How are you doing? It’s been a couple weeks, I know. January has been busy – personally & professionally, and on top of that I’ve been fighting some sickness (no fun!). Anyway, today I’m back with 5 tips to help you get started on social media!
I can’t tell you how many individuals and business owners I’ve spoken to who are intimidated by social media, so they simply don’t take advantage of it. I understand the hesitation and pressure, but I want to help you take advantage of one of the most powerful, free marketing tools for your business!
5 TIPS FOR GETTING STARTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA
- Determine your goals.
Why do you want to use social media for your business? Is it to create an online presence and awareness? Is it to reach a certain audience? Is it to create sales? Determining your goals will help you create a social media plan and content that will support these goals. - Evaluate your resources.
Do you have someone that can run your social media accounts for you? If not, evaluate your own schedule to figure out how to spend a few minutes each day spending time on social media for your brand. Remember, you’ll need to spend some time interacting with other brands and responding to your audience, whether that is through comments or messages. - Create a plan of action.
This doesn’t have to be a planned content calendar down to the minute of every day. Figure out your goals, then evaluate your resources, and create a plan to put your goals into action on social media. This could be as simple as “I’m going to post 3 times each week on each social media channel.” You’re just getting started, so you may not know the content that your audience best responds to or the perfectly optimized posting times – that’s okay! - Create (and share!) quality content.
We’ve all heard the phrase, “Quality over quantity.” This could not ring more true than on social media! Your audience doesn’t care if you post 5 times a day if the content doesn’t hit a home run with them. In fact, if you’re posting lackluster content, multiple times a day (or week), your audience will simply scroll past your content. This may mean that you have some trial and error, but it’s worth it to post quality content that will truly engage your audience rather than posting just to post. Also, don’t discredit sharing quality content from others (just be sure to attribute properly! It’s not cool to rip other people off.) - Just do it!
Seriously, just get started! Rip the band aid off! Not sure where to get started? Facebook and Instagram are a pretty safe bet. Depending on your business and brand, other channels such as Pinterest and Snapchat may be great for you. You don’t have to craft the perfect post or publish it at the perfect time, at least having a social media presence will legitimize your business tremendously! You can worry about the nitty-gritty details later, just get out there!
I hope that these tips are helpful as you get started on social media. It is truly a powerful and useful tool for your business. Do you have any other tips that you’d add to this list? Let me know in the comments.
I hope that these help you to get a handle on where to start and not be overwhelmed, but if you have any questions or want to chat, please don’t hesitate to reach out!
