Social media can be an incredible tool for promoting your business. Where else can you promote your brand nonstop for free? Social media levels the playing field as small, one-person businesses can potentially have the exposure that used to require a six-figure marketing budget. This additional access to potential clients is fantastic. But the downside is that there’s a lot to learn and it’s easy to get overwhelmed and overloaded. The good news is that by just taking a few simple steps, you can leverage social media to effectively promote your business. Well don’t worry, this guide will help you deal with social media overload.
Social Media Overload Tip 1: Reserve Your Spot
New social media services pop up every few months. Despite the buzz, you never know which ones will make it and which ones won’t. The best approach is to sign up for everything but just focus on a few at a time. Most social media services have you create a username. So you’ll want to register right away to reserve your name before someone else does. It can be frustrating when someone else is using the name of your brand or product. So reserving it early can prevent the headache of an IP lawsuit. So the short answer is to start with them all. Here are some links to the most popular ones:
Social Media Overload Tip 2: Focus on a Few
You’ve signed up for several services but that doesn’t mean you have to actively use them all. The most successful people on each service tend to focus primarily on that service. Yes, they’ve reserved their spot on the others and may even use them regularly. But they primarily focus their efforts on just one or two at a time.
This is an area where automation can play a huge part. Some networks (such as Facebook & Instagram) will allow you to post to multiple services simultaneously. So while you’re actively focused on one service, you’re still creating content on the other. And then when you’re ready to build your presence on that other network, you already will have months (or years) of content.
Social Media Overload Tip 3: Master One Service at a Time
Each service has its own tricks and quirks. You learn these tricks by immersing yourself in the service and start engaging other users. You’ll learn which hashtags work for you and what the ideal posting times are. And you’ll learn which features are useful and which ones aren’t. In some cases, what you learn can be transferred to other services such as what headlines grab attention.
The process of building your knowledge and presence on a social media platform provides two advantages. First, you make new connections. Those connections can potentially be converted to leads. But they can also become referral partners, friends, or more. Chances are, they’re probably active on other platforms as well. So, for example, when you’re ready to move Twitter, you can connect with your LinkedIn connections that have Twitter accounts.
The second advantage is that you start building a reputation as you share your knowledge and expertise. When you answer questions effectively, your reputation as an expert grows. So look for questions in the areas where you have knowledge – and answer them.
Social Media Overload Tip 4: Help Others
The best way to become successful on any social media service is to help others. This not only gives you a good reputation but it makes people want to help you. The world is full of awesome people, and the same goes for most social media platforms. Most people that you’ll encounter are good people that will greatly appreciate your help. It could be as simple as sharing an experience with a product or connecting them with the right person to help them. They will be appreciative of the help and you’ll feel good about it. It’s hard to feel social media overload when you’re feeling social media love. So remember that you need to get out of that “me, me, me” mindset.
Many people make the mistake of jumping into social media and doing nothing but promote, promote, promote. I’m guilty of it as I made this mistake at first and got nowhere. Once I began helping others, I created friendships and connections that gave me a solid foundation to build off of. These people will become your biggest advocates. They’ll give you feedback, share your content, and help you when you need it.
Social Media Overload Tip 5: Learn From Your Mistakes
You’re going to hit a few bumps along the road. Some will set you back but don’t get frustrated. Mistakes are part of the learning process. I started teaching classes about social media in 2009. A good chunk of my material for my classes came from mistakes I’ve made. So when you make a mistake, learn from the experience and don’t repeat it. The great thing about so many different services is that even if you completely fail on one (which is unlikely, at worst it’ll take you some time to figure it out) there are plenty of others for you to master.
Social Media Overload Tip 6: Hire Help
I’m not just saying this to get your business. The truth is that some people just aren’t a good match for using social media. There would typically be one or two people in each class I taught that I could see getting anxious when we started doing lab work. These aren’t bad people and it doesn’t mean that they aren’t smart. But not everyone has the patience or desire to effectively learn social media. But it doesn’t mean they can’t reap the rewards.
In Summary:
Social media can be overwhelming, but you can do something about it. You don’t have to be an early adopter on each new platform. It’s better to do a great job on one platform than a terrible job on ten. So sit back, grab a treat, and get started on your way to success. If you ever need assistance, please sign up for a complimentary consultation. We’ll put you on the right path so you can avoid most headaches.
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