Are You On the Bandwagon?
Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, blogging. Social media is all the rage. And, yes, it’s changing every
day. The question is, are you on board? And can you keep up? Whether
you’re just getting started, are ramping up your efforts, having the time
of your life or are completely overwhelmed – you can comfortably and gracefully
both enter the fray and stay above
water.
The biggest barriers to social media success typically are
lack of time, lack of focus, and lack of content. But with careful planning
– and that’s hugely important - you can start strong and sail a successful course.
Before jumping in with both feet, however, below are a few time-tested tips to
help you make the most of social media and maximize your investment. For some,
we’ve included an interesting link for further reading. We thought
they were awesome and insightful!
1) Ask a few key questions. The omission of this critical step is quite often the biggest mistake we make. We know you
want to hit the ground running. But think for a moment. What’s your mission/purpose/goal? Who are you hoping to connect with?
And why? The answers will serve as your starting point and as a compass for
all future outreach. Think both short term and long term. Who are you approaching
and what is it that you hope to gain/achieve/accomplish? Is it sales,
connections, reviews, recognition, etc.? And, just as critically, what
do you have to offer them? An honest assessment now will make all the hard
work ahead easier and all the time invested more fruitful and more fun.
2)
Identify your target audience. Research where you’ll find them and how you’ll best connect.
Go online, surf the web, talk to peers and colleagues, visit the different
social media sites and get a feel for who goes where to find information, to
engage, and to interact. For busy professionals, your prime outlet might be
LinkedIn. For a fun-loving crowd, it might be Facebook. For a visual market,
Pinterest tops the list and for those with information to share, blogs are the
go-to resource. Who have you targeted and are you engaging?
3)
Map it out. Too often, we invest a ton of time and energy to the above and yes,
it’s all in our head. At least for the moment. But write it down, put it on
paper, maybe even make it visual with the latest mind mapping tools. A day from now,
a week from now or a year from now – you won’t have the same vivid
recollection.
4)
Prioritize.
Your wish list undoubtedly has assorted prospects and mediums. Be
realistic. You can’t do all at once. And that wouldn’t be the most effective approach anyway. Identify the outlet – or 1-3 - that best serve
your needs, tap into your specific audience(s), showcase your strengths and spotlight
you at your best. Start there and build.
5)
Start
small. There are few who step into the spotlight and get an instantaneous,
immediate deluge of followers, fans or favorites. We know you’re excited but be strategic and be patient. The whole purpose of social
media, after all, is building relationships - which just naturally grow richer
over time. Don’t
rush it. You might scare potential prospects, friends, and colleagues away.
6)
Be real.
Let your personality shine. Be professional, be respectful, but be real. Revisit
Step No. 1 for a moment and remember who you are, what sets you apart and why you’re embarking on your
social media campaign in the first place. Let these answers consistently guide
you.
7)
Make it
meaningful. “They” come looking for “something.” They come in search of a product, a service, or expertise. They
initially heard or saw something somewhere and are “testing” the waters. You
either have
what they’re looking for or - perhaps - you don’t. Don’t try to be all things
to all people. Better to connect with those who want you, need you, and couldn’t
live without you than to have 10x more followers but no real interaction,
engagement or interest.
8) Give them what they want. Some want to have fun. Others want the latest news, tools, research, quotes, etc. You
know your audience. And yours is different from everyone else’s. Give your audience what they want and take time to monitor what’s going on with colleagues and
competitors - it’s the best gauge of what works, what’s tried and true, as well
as what sets you apart and makes you unique. Play. Discover what works. Only
time will time. Tip: Stats, by the way, do show that photos are a perennial crowd
pleaser – look at any newspaper, magazine or billboard and see where your eyes are immediately drawn. And, as
we noted in an earlier post, infographics mixing visuals and text are THE hot
thing.
9) Revisit and reassess. What’s working
and what’s not? Are you loving it? Do you need to do things differently? Are
you ready to grow? Remember, there will be ups and downs. Enjoy the good times,
savor the moments. And when you encounter problems, work to fix them, quickly.
Hopefully, the good times outweigh the bad. If not, consider shaking up the way
you’re doing things. Maybe you need more hands on board, or prefer to outsource.
If you’re overextended or want to be more efficient, there are range of time-saving
organizational tools to help manage multiple mediums, schedule posts in
advance, later track results and also plan for the future.
10) Relax and have fun. All relationships
take work. But, in the end, they should be worth the time invested. Take a moment to celebrate your successes. Identify what
works well. Look into new areas of opportunity. Most importantly, enjoy the
process of connecting with your community. That’s what sent you on this chase
anyway. Now, smooth sailing as you chart your own course!
Loving every minute of it
To truly be effective with your social media outreach, you have to have a specific plan and commit consistent time, resources, focus and attention week after week, day after day, word by word. Carve out a set amount of time, remember who you're trying to reach, what you're hoping to achieve and give them what they want. Like all good communication and all healthy relationships, it's a two-way exchange.
Reality: We were at a standstill until we tackled Step Number 1. After that, we've loved every minute. And our stumbling block wasn't too little copy or ideas, but rather an abundance. Once we mapped it out, it was perfectly attainable. Before, it was overwhelming.
Question: What has been your biggest social media struggle? Or secrets to success?
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