How to Use Social Media for Work (even though you hate social media)
So it’s 2021, we’ve finally made it. You made two New Year’s resolutions: to grow your small business and spend less time on social media. Oh, wait.
HOW’S THAT GOING TO WORK?
Maybe you’re still traumatized by your iPhone’s “screen time” notifications or simply tired of seeing your cousin’s stance on the latest political issue. Whatever your reason, it’s becoming more and more clear that social media isn’t what it used to be. New features, new trends, and a lot more ads. Ads that you’ve probably clicked on from companies that know exactly what they’re doing.
What once was a platform catered towards personal use is now an inexpensive and effective tool for businesses to grow their professional presence. The headache of social media is enough to ward some people off these platforms entirely, but it’s smart to stick it out. Why?
BECAUSE WE SEE TIME AND AGAIN, FOR CLEVER PUNCH AND OUR CLIENTS, SOCIAL MEDIA CREATES QUALITY LEADS AND CLIENTS.
Here are three tips on how to use social media for your business while keeping your sanity:
1.) Be mindful of your audience
Knowing the demographic and geographic information of your target audience is a great start to developing intentional content. There’s a variety of social media platforms to pick from, but that doesn’t mean you have to be on every one. For example, don’t focus on Snapchat if your target audience is baby boomers. Instead, try something that is generally used by an older audience, like Facebook. After deciding on the perfect platform, you can further investigate your audience’s common interests, values, and opinions to strengthen the relationship they share with your brand. The more you know your audience, the more powerful your efforts will become.
2.) Consistency is key
Regularly posting on social media platforms will help your brand look more trustworthy and reliable. Planning a social calendar and scheduling posts ahead of time is an easy way to maintain a consistent presence. Bonus: your engagement with followers will also go up when you do this, too. Not only that, but consistency should also come into play within your overarching style and unified brand voice. Molding concepts into the context of your brand will help build recognition in your growing social community.
3.) Remember that people don’t go on social media to see advertisements
They’re looking for entertainment, inspiration, or connection that can improve their life in some way. With that in mind, over-posting too much about your product or service could actually do more harm than good. So, how do you catch (and keep) someone’s attention? A simple way to navigate this is by sticking to the 80/20 rule. For 80% of the time, try posting something fun, like DIY projects, life hacks, or advice from an industry expert. Maybe even a tasteful meme. It can be anything interesting that relates back to your overall brand. For the other 20% of the time, post the promotional content that encourages consumer action. For example, product spotlights and special offers fall under this category. This rule prevents people from getting too burnt out on promotional posts while also helping you keep their attention long-term.
written by Nicole Szczepanek
Marketing Account Manager, Clever Punch