In today’s business world if you want to truly succeed you have to have a social media presence. There is just no way around it. When you go online and browse social media sites it can make the whole prospect seem deceptively easy. It seems like a few picture posts, some funny or insightful quotes and bam you have it. Here’s the kicker… it’s SO not true, it takes real WORK.
When building your strategy you start out by looking at you targeted customer/client population and research what they like, want or need. Play around with your
vision for your company and what your social media presence really needs to look like. You build your posts in each social media platform according to the findings of this research and constantly hone your focus.
Unfortunately, sometimes as business owners we tend to focus to closely on one aspect of our business or another. This can really limit our ability to get our products and services out to our public. Our tunnel vision can be a serious hindrance to achieving the success we really want out of our social media presence. Do not be afraid to go off topic and do not be afraid to be funny as long as it is relevant.
This is not to say being too broad or getting way off of topic all the time is a good thing to do either. The real trick is to find that balance between the funny, the informative, and the sell. One of the best ways to do this is to simply ask your social media followers what they are interested in and what you can do to improve. You customers/clients know you are not perfect and by asking for their input it really lends to a sense of ownership for them in how your services are rendered.
Your competition is another invaluable resource. You can learn a lot from looking at what they are doing. See what works for them and what doesn’t. It can help you to see what to do and not what to do for your area of expertise without having to go through some of the growing pains yourself. Of, course you need to make it your own. Do NOT copy your competitor; morph your social media presence into something that is vibrant, viable, and unique.
This sounds like a whole lot of work for something that may or may not have any tangible results right away, but it is definitely worth it. No matter if you are a doctor, painter, or comic book artist social media should be an important part of your business strategy. It is not going away meaning we need to learn to evolve with it. DO NOT get stuck and do not be afraid to grow.
The world of social media advertising is a tool that with a bit of creativity, perseverance and a good dose of flexibility can serve any business owner well. Just remember to keep it fresh and look outside your bubble or comfort zone to find your true potential.