“The strength of your social media is determined by the strength of your content as we get to live in a time where we get to use social media as a tool” - Anonymous
Welcome to Episode 48: Social Media – A Necessary Evil …!
It seems everywhere you turn these days; you hear more and more about social-media-this and social-media-that. Many people I know (our clients included) are constantly asking, “Is social media something I have to do?”
Well, my answer is this … the point of social media is not to force you into something. It is also not something that makes you feel like you should "just to do it" then end up half ass’ing most of it just to get it done. Social media, when properly leveraged, is a very powerful business tool. But as for the “necessary evil” part … well, listen and find out!
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
Are you ready?
Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“The strength of your social media is determined by the strength of your content as we get to live in a time where we get to use social media as a tool” - Anonymous
Welcome to Episode 48: Social Media – A Necessary Evil …!
It seems everywhere you turn these days; you hear more and more about social-media-this and social-media-that. Many people I know (our clients included) are constantly asking, “Is social media something I have to do?”
Well, my answer is this … the point of social media is not to force you into something. It is also not something that makes you feel like you should "just to do it" then end up half ass’ing most of it just to get it done. Social media, when properly leveraged, is a very powerful business tool. But as for the “necessary evil” part … well, listen and find out!
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
Are you ready?
Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
It seems everywhere you turn these days; you hear more and more about social-media-this and social-media-that. Many people I know (our clients included) are constantly asking, “Is social media something I have to do?”
Well, my answer is this … the point of social media is not to force you into something. It is also not something that makes you feel like you should "just to do it" then end up half ass’ing most of it just to get it done. Social media, when properly leveraged, is a very powerful business tool. So, to answer the question at hand, it’s not really a “necessary evil” but more of a necessary business tool for establishing, managing, and marketing your brand while creating and extending your networks.
Most business owners I know virtually “kill themselves” by working so hard to been seen in the social world. It shouldn’t be that hard but being social is important. It boils down to the importance of these two things … communication and engagement -- people love looking for a way to interact with and become involved. So, finding creative and effective ways to communicate and engage with people is truly the key to social media success.
Still on the fence?
Here are a few good reasons to why social media is necessary:
So, when you are ready … take some time to formulate a plan and put it into action. Watch how having social media as part of your business plan adds to your bottom line. Makes your bigger picture more visible. I promise, you will be surprised at the results. More communication and client engagement will inevitably lead to more return on your investment. Which we all know this is what you want. We all do.
That being said, I didn’t want to end things off here as there are TWO very important add-ons to living in the land of social with your business … (1) leaving an impression, and (2) minding your social manners. So, let’s dive on in …
Before we dive into social etiquette, let’s talking about leaving that social impression …
As I sat back and reflected on my 2021 business year, it dawned on me how quickly it's nearing the end of the year and we're all scrambling to get things in order before the holidays roll around and (hopefully) already working on our 2022 business plan. Which brings me to this … thoughtful tactics for a content makeover.
Good content attracts engagement and builds strong communities. And if it’s really good, can even go viral. Which is my hope for you – and of course VU too!
But if it’s not, well … that’s a whole other story altogether. Stale, under-performing social content can drive your audience in the opposite direction. But it’s not like you don’t have options! With my mini-3-step plan you can drive more ROI from your efforts without having to publish anything new. But before we dive into those 3 simple steps, I want to go over some traits every piece of content should have. Because if you want your brand to be a trusted resource, you have to offer true value. And by “true value” I mean every experience you create in the virtual world should not only reflect your focus on winning the moment your audience begins paying attention, but also in every single person who precedes and follows along. So, if you’re looking to gain the trust of your audience (which we all are), always be thinking about these traits …
And last but not least …
Remember, social media creates communities, not markets.
Okay, so now that you have those traits top of mind, let’s officially dive into my 3-step plan for your content makeover …
#1. CREATE CONTENT PILLARS BY CONSOLIDATING YOUR POSTS.
For starters, a content pillar reflects the core topics of your business. Basically, you are building the mother of all plans. So, whether it’s a core service or product you’re aiming focus on, this will act as an authority on the matter, covering everything from general inquiries to small details but with strong focus all the while leaving just enough room to deep dive with supporting materials.
Begin by going through your content and making a list of everything you already have that touches on your core topic. Look for opportunities to consolidate ideas and assets, optimize your keywords then turn things around by combining content into something totally refreshed. Doing this will help you roll the strong points of several related pieces into one!
#2. USE YOUR “KNOWLEDGE BANK” TO REFRESH DATED CONTENT.
For starters, a knowledge bank is a library of your business’s insights, data, areas of expertise, personalized stories, and generalized information. Having all these goodies squirreled away and ready to roll will help you easily fuel your content efforts.
If you’re just beginning to build your knowledge bank -- or perhaps even your business -- you could start this process by conducting interviews with the experts in your niche, then organize and store their answers for later creations.
However, if your virtual content is far and few between, or you left things on the backburner for too long, start by posting short, targeted articles that address the questions people want (and need) answered. Then build your knowledge base from there. It’s truly the easiest, cheapest way to keep your audience happy. And as an added bonus, it’s available as a self-serve, 24-hours a day, seven days a week, so you don’t burn out and can actually have a life beyond your business.
Ready to begin building?
GREAT!
Start with these steps …
#3. OPTIMIZE LEAD GEN BY FINDING FRESH OPPORTUNITIES.
Having fresh new ideas will make it easy for your audience to take that next step and engage with you further. It can also turn a low-performing piece into one of your best pieces ever. Almost instantly! So, having a collection of in-depth content on your site and social platforms with each including a relevant, well-written call-to-action (CTA) will only bring you desired results, because your audience will become more knowledgeable than ever before.
Alrighty … you now know social media is a sort of “necessary evil” for your business and how to work towards leaving an impression, now let’s talk manners!
As an entrepreneur, it is incredibly important to make sure you follow proper etiquette while in the virtual world. This can easily save you from unfortunate social backlashes that could damage your online reputation --> for life.
With pre-teens up to senior citizens being online, it is hard to shield yourself from a careless tweet, meme, or Facebook post gone wrong.
That being said, I want to help you achieve social greatness by not getting nipped in the butt with a rotten post, so here are some common ways that you should NOT be using social media. (Along with some tips on how you should be!)
It goes without saying that you should avoid sending out potentially offensive content. Making sure you educate yourself on current topics, all the while ensuring your content is meaningful, inclusive, diversity friendly, and tells a story. This will only help your brand in the long run.
In the container of the virtual world, it is a “better safe than sorry” kind of space when it comes to posting content alongside your branded visual. And it is best that if you’re unsure, to check in with your gut and go with your whatever it’s feeling. It’s there for a reason, and it’s usually right.
The same concept also applies when considering the nature of your platform.
For instance, Facebook is much more family and friend orientated while LinkedIn is more focused on professional connections. It is okay to post entirely different things on different platforms as each platform has its own audience. And each audience has their own expectations for the things they want to see and feel on the platform. In fact, it might even help boost your engagement. And by posting the right kind of content on each platform, this will help with keeping business and pleasure separate when it comes to your life on social.
So, you are probably wondering …
How does that work when your personal profile is linked with your business one?
Well, you can easily set up different lists to contain each of these different “containers” of people. Then consider posting business-related items to your worklist, while personal goes to the rest of your Facebook friends. And maybe even one step further by considering “hiding” friends who don’t need to see a particular post – which can easily be done in “Settings” area of the platform.
Taking these few extra steps will only make people appreciate you more while you build your legacy for the future.
We feel the best approach is to always think twice …!
... Before tagging someone …
... Before sharing your 100th daily update …
... Before making a particular comment or emoji ...
... Before sharing your inner monologue …
Thinking twice will help you maintain professional relationships online and while respecting those in your inner circle.
And last but not least, avoid engaging in an aggressive debate on someone’s post as it is very easy to be in a reactive state when it comes to personal posts and viewpoints. So, plain, and simple … Just don’t be reactive. Ignore if you disagree -- and move on.
Sure, it is sometimes a world of fun to watch celebrity wars, just don’t get yourself into one. Keep your disputes in the DMs and do not bring them out for the rest of the world to see. These kinds of things can bruise your reputation -- and sometimes permanently!
You, and you alone are responsible for everything you post and everything you post will be a reflection of you. So, keep that in mind.
Social media is ever-changing and so are the rules for etiquette.
Being kind and treating others the way you wish to be treated (just like in the non-virtual world) is the best way to go about your social media ways. Remember, social media has tremendous power, more than you may realize, so it is super important to follow proper etiquette when you engage with others. This virtually social world moves far faster than the offline world, so it is crucial to think about cause and effect … Digital denizens aren’t always quick to forgive!
HAPPY SOCIAL MEDIA’ing!