Here’s the thing: There are currently 10 social media platforms that are considered popular, all of them dominated by different demographics. Choosing the right ones to adopt for your business can be well… a bit much, especially if you feel the pressure and start comparing yourself to everyone else. Hint: Stop with that comparison mumbo jumbo, you don’t have time for it. Stay in your lane, serve your people, and win. :: Steps off soap box::
When it comes to making the right decisions for your brand, patience is still a virtue and sorting through the social media branding bin can take some time. So, while you’re perusing Pinterest or tip-toeing through Twitter, let me give you a few things to consider before choosing which platforms could pack the TKO punch for your business AND help you breathe easy at night knowing you’re on the right track.
A scrawled permission slip from me to you (parent signature not required)
Three reasons why you have permission not to do all the things:
1. Your target audience can usually be found in the same place
It’s natural to think that as soon as a “new thing” hits the scene, you just have to be a part of it but that’s not necessarily true. Think about it this way: I’m sure there are a dozen coffee shops in your town but are you going to go to all of them? Of course not…well, unless you just have a thing for coffee shop hopping but more than likely, no. P.S. Coffee house hopping sounds like it should totally be a thing – like bar hopping but where you get more of that other kind of buzz.
Anywho, you’re probably going to gravitate to the one that your friends told you about because a) they go to that cafe too and b) you trust their opinion on the environment and the scones! It’s kind of the same with social media platforms. Just like the sentiment made popular by the t.v. show, Cheers, “Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name.” For example, mid-western moms may have Instagram accounts, but they interact mostly on Facebook. Or young fashion bloggers may have a Facebook presence but their demographic uses Instagram the most. Just because they have a presence doesn’t mean they’re active and engage there either, do your due diligence and dig deeper.
2. The type of content you create works better on specific platforms
Similar to the way your target audience gravitates toward a particular platform, the type of content you create is better suited for certain platforms as well. Ladies who love the DIY life may tweet their latest projects a time or two, but their home is Pinterest because it provides a space for instructions, photos, and everything their followers need to imitate their latest creation. Stay-at-home mommy bloggers may post cute photos of their kids on Instagram, but their readers gravitate to their words of wisdom on Facebook because of the ease of navigating through long-form, written content. Are you picking up what I’m putting down?
3. You don’t have the time to dedicate to every single platform
Truth talk! Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat, TikTok, LinkedIn…yes they’re all social media platforms, but no the content you create for one is typically not ideal for the others. In order for your content to be appealing, it needs to be tailored to the format of that specific platform. Is that a lot of work, you betcha! Can it be done, absolutely. Is it a good use of your CEO time, probably not. This is why I always encourage my clients to outsource their social media but to educate themselves on it beyond the marketing pieces and learn the analytical side as well.
Don’t focus on being in all the places with all the content every single day. Instead focus on attracting the right people and the right eyeballs to your corner of the internet because I guarantee when you do that, your workload will decrease and your clientele will increase.
I hope this information has helped you feel a lot less panicked about creating a social media marketing strategy for your business. And hey, if you’re ready to get started and you need some help creating a plan, I’m right here, ready to get to work! We can meet online at one of your favorite coffee shops, you pick! 😉