Funny subject for someone who focuses a large part of their industry in social media, right?
Well. That’s exactly the point.
In a world where it is 110% necessary to have some sort of online presence for your business, how many potential clients are you missing out on by not being online? How many clients would you lose if every social media platform you’re on were to disappear?
I’ve heard several excuses, concerns and questions about being (or not being) online:
“I know I’ve missed at least 10 clients because I don’t have a website.”
“I got on Facebook but now it’s about Instagram and I need to post on Pinterest but I want them to order through a website…It’s all too much so I just gave up.”
“I’ve never been on ____ because my people aren’t there.”
Sound familiar?
Yeah, I thought so…
How do we overcome these problems we’re facing?
- It starts with branding. There’s more to it than a cool name and pretty logo. You need to figure out your ideal audience, the colors that will attract them, the language they speak and where to communicate with them. Use your Free Consultation right now if you haven’t before!
- As part of your branding consultation you now know who you are talking to, where they hang out at and how best to get your product and message to them. (Use the free content guide in that link for some help on content that converts!)
- NEVER…listening?…NEVER put all of your eggs in one basket! And NEVER have too many baskets. A good rule of thumb is to focus on two to three social media platforms for your business. This is manageable and will prove to have a strong ROI for you. Any more than that and you’re making little to no impact on your audience. I suggest most of my clients focus on Facebook and Instagram while directing all traffic back to your website. Curious on where to focus your social media advertising? Check this out.
If this sounds too intimidating or time consuming then please let us help you. Local Collaborative is doing important work to take the question and uncertainty out of your marketing and communication needs. As I mentioned, this is necessary for your business but can be confusing or overwhelming to busy business owners.
- You know who you are talking to and more than likely where they hang out online. Now it’s time for how. If you don’t already have your Instagram or Facebook Business Account setup, do it now. This will let you know where your audience is, who they are and when they are online. I’ll lead by example…
I researched the best days to post blogs and it was Tuesdays. I tested a few varying times in the morning and early afternoon for my posts and saw that just before lunch and in the evening around 9 p.m. is when most of my audience was checking out my profile. These are the peak break times for my working age audience. Instagram is the most popular platform and, since it’s more than likely the last thing they’re checking before bed, it’s the most personal.
What I post, write and share will resonate with my audience if I am able to communicate with them at the most convenient time for them. I find that I am able to interact at these same times because the young professional audience is looking for the same thing.
If your audience is single moms, construction workers, farmers or realtors, when is the best time to reach them and how can you best serve them? How often are they online and on what platform?
- At the end of the day this is ‘just’ the shallow world of online life highlights, ruining perceptions of realities everywhere. So WHY does this matter so much?
If your WHY is big enough then you probably already realize the importance of this. If your WHY is simply to help others, spread awareness or share your findings (like many people) then why not give it the best chance of happening? If you’re only half-assing your attempts then you really don’t think what you have is that important and your audience or potential clients are not worth it.
If you’re solely depending your entire business or success on social media platforms then open your eyes, ears and heart to this.
Social Media Is A Supplement
Just like a supplement, it enhances what you are currently working on achieving but it cannot compare to what a healthy diet and consistent exercise routine can do for you. The world does not revolve around social media, nor should it.
If you base your success on subscribers, likes, shares or following ONLY then what does that say about your business when Facebook shuts down?
When your Instagram gets deleted?
When you’re in a YouTube scandal and lose all paid partnerships and subscribers?
I don’t want to see any more businesses struggle with their happiness and entrepreneurial success based on what they do or don’t have online.
A good business will thrive on WHO they are, WHAT they provide and HOW they provide it.
We believe a sustainable business thrives on word-of-mouth referrals that lead people to their Facebook page.
That an authentic video of you using your product will open a line of communication in the comments section.
That an in-person conversation can lead to selling your book on Amazon OR your website; even if one of them were to be shut down.
Let’s wrap this up in a big, pretty bow, yeah?
- Figure out WHO you are talking to, WHERE they are and HOW best to reach and help them. Solidify your WHY. This can be done in a personalized branding consultation.
- I challenge you to hone in on TWO social media platforms. If you need help deciding: Which one do you enjoy being on most? Which one is your audience on?
- Get started and stop starting over. No, this isn’t a contradiction. I want you to get started and stop freaking out over what’s the perfect thing to say, the right platform to be doing or if you should be the one doing it. You will have nothing to improve if you don’t start somewhere.
As always, we are here to help or provide guidance if you have questions.
And with that I give you one big ol’ CHEERS!
Marin
Did I get you thinking about how sustainable your business is? Let’s talk.
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