June is a special time for writers. As it gets hotter and I spend more time indoors in the AC, I begin to reflect on what June celebrates—Effective Communication Month and Social Media Day. The latter is June 30, so today, I’m giving a few tips on how to leverage social media for your company using your most effective communication.
Create Brand Standards
Before you post a single pic or pithy remark, figure out who you are. What makes your company special? What are your values, and what is your value? I’ve talked about this in depth before, and I encourage you to check out the linked blog if you haven’t yet.
Once you have an idea of your values, and value, think about your goals and mission. Then, come up with a guide for how to express yourself in ways that align with those values.
That includes picking out your tone, deciding who can post, and and deciding what are acceptable subjects to share. It may seem like a lot to think about before using Facebook, especially if you’ve grown up using it, but trust me when I say it will save you a lot of headaches.
It takes years to build a brand and moments to destroy it!
Don’t Sell
I’ve beaten this drum before, but people still aren’t marching to the rhythm. Social media needs to be social. Selling your products has its place, but it’s called advertising. Social media is where you go to share things valuable with your audience and tell people who you are.
Use your page to update your clients, inform them with information that shows your expertise, and (if it fits your brand) entertain them.
Plan Ahead to Really Leverage Social Media
To leverage social media most effectively, you need to plan ahead. It’s too easy to get bogged down by life and everyday problems and miss posting if you try to only do it in the moment.
That’s not to say you can’t respond to current events and trends as they occur. When you have the time, absolutely do that! However, all social media apps allow you to schedule posts for the future. Stay as far ahead as you need to to ensure you don’t have a gap. I try to be a month ahead for all of my clients.
When something new comes up, I just move an evergreen post to a later date.
Don’t Overdo It
You don’t need to be everywhere. Which social media networks make sense for your company?
If you have a shop on Etsy, Pinterest is a great place to share your creations, but that probably won’t work as well for an accountant. LinkedIn is a great place to have a presence if your business serves other businesses, but unless you have a specific brand voice, Twitter might not be the best spot for you.
It’s not that you can’t find value in unexpected places, but leveraging social media takes time, and you want to get the best bang for your buck. If you have the ability to be everywhere, are good at it, and enjoy it, by all means, go for it! Just don’t bite off more than you can chew, and don’t sacrifice quality.
Don’t Forget 2QC
Who remembers POP’s 2QC Marketing Formula? It’s deceptively simple: Quality, Quantity, Consistency.
Believe it or not, the C is most important. Consistently posting is half the battle. You can’t leverage social media for business growth if you post sporadically.
Posting once a week for a year is far better than posting every day for two months. The latter will have more posts overall, but it won’t help you with the algorithms. It also confuses audiences.
Have you ever gone to a page where no one had posted for three months? Be honest. Did you wonder if they were still in business? I always do.
More posts are great, but only if you can keep them up. Quantity matters, but it matters the least.
Keep your posts informative and entertaining, and ensure they meet your brand standards. Low-quality content doesn’t interest your audience and doesn’t help you.
Hire Someone Who Knows How to Leverage Social Media for Your Business
When you’re starting your business, you are probably doing it all yourself. That’s why I write blogs like today’s on how to leverage social media. Something is better than nothing, and I want to help you make your business successful.
But once your business succeeds, it’s hard to keep doing it all alone! So, I recommend hiring experts like myself to leverage social media and other marketing for your business. Don’t fall into the trap of being your business.
One more note: you may wonder if it’s a good business practice for me to share in detail how to leverage social media. I think it is. And it’s one you should emulate for your field.
People see my blogs and social media posts and hopefully learn something. A good percentage of those people may decide to keep doing it on their own. But for those who don’t, I become the expert they remember.
You can do the same. Or I can do it for you!
