Social media… we know it’s important, but how many of us can put our hands on our hearts and say we’re 100% confident with our social content?

We actually think the answer is almost no one: things are changing, it’s still a new medium, why did no one like my post about my new pen… BUT, feeling unsure doesn’t mean you can’t post anything, ever again.

If you’re looking for some simple tips to get you back on your feet and less sad about your pen post, this one is for you!

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DO

Experiment!

Pull on your lab coat, my friend. There’s a lot of chatter on the internet about the “perfect formula/template/strategy/pancake”, but there are many ways to create content, and as many ways to make pancakes. What you’re looking for isn’t someone else’s approach; it’s yours, the content that works for you and your audience. Experiments keeps things lively so you’re less likely to get bored too.

Be consistent!

Consistency isn’t just important to the Great British Bakeoff: it’s important for your online presence too. You gotta keep showing up, rather than adopting the flash in a pan approach! Most social platforms like sharing users that are active on a regular basis, and those who follow you will also appreciate you being a familiar face in their feeds. Popping up once in a while NEVER works: your audience don’t get a solid sense of who you are and those pesky algorithms don’t like it either.

Be clear on who you are talking to – know your audience

To quote writer Meredith Hill, “When you speak to everyone, you speak to no one.” Your business isn’t about appealing to every Thomas, Richard, and Henry. You’re there to speak to your target customer, and you should know exactly who they are. Once you’ve nailed down your target persona, it’s time to ensure that your content is valuable to them and forget everyone else.

Pick one or two platforms to absolutely nail!

Trying to do it all usually ends up in failing to do it all. That’s not your fault: it’s what would happen to anyone who thinks they have to spread themselves thinly across many different platforms. Remember, your customers are likely to only have a couple of platforms they really favour; an older demographic might be focused on LinkedIn, while Gen Z use TikTok most. Aim for a great presence on two social networks.

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DON’T

Worry too much about what your competition are doing

This is such a quick way to lose focus and momentum in running your business. “Competitor analysis” can very quickly turn into “competitor paralysis.” The secret is to hone in on YOUR unique voice, brand, and customer. That means finding what works for you and your follower base, to be truly original.

Try and sell

It makes people pull these faces 🤮😡😤🙄🤦🏽‍♀️

Picture this. You’re sitting on your sofa at the end of a long day, comfy slippers on, fave tipple by your side. In walks John from Average Accountants, busting through your front door to shout loudly about why your money worries would end if you decided to hire him.

That’s the way most of us are sat when scrolling through our social feeds, so showing up with the hard sell is a poor way to connect with your audience. Your social presence should be a relaxed way for your followers to engage with you.

Get too stuck in your ways

It’s easily done, but not paying attention to what your audience is looking for is a surefire way to lose them. There are many social media trends out there, and not all of them are right for you, but an absolute no-no is getting rigid with your marketing and never switching it up. 

Just copy and paste your content onto different platforms

Worry not: we’ve all been there with this one. Recycling concepts is a great move, given that not every customer will follow you on every single platform and see every single post… but don’t forget those who will! Take those great ideas and reformulate them; how can you take a new angle that your Instagram followers would prefer over your LinkedIn ones?

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Now it’s up to you everyone! I hope this gets you thinking about how you can implement some of the above. Give it a go and let me know how you get on!

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