I know I should be using social media, but…
“I don’t know what to post about!”
“I’m not a writer!”
“I don’t have the time!”
Sound familiar? If this sounds like you, you’re not alone. These are common concerns for people starting out on social media. But know this: they are not insurmountable! You can do this! You just need a little help getting started. Read on for a sound strategy you can use to get you past the social media roadblocks
Social Media Roadblock #1: Content
The first roadblock is figuring out what to write about. Start by making a list of topics and keep this document somewhere handy because you’ll be using it a lot. Think about common questions that your customers ask, problems they encounter and solutions you create. If one customer wants to know about it, others do, too. Start with just the topics, and when you have a good list you can pick and choose a few to start writing about (more on that below).
For example, a landscaping business might write about the pros and cons of patterned concrete, spring pruning tips, or what to put in that shady corner where only weeds seem to grow. Although many of your posts will be related to your business, they shouldn’t all be. You can write about anything that’s meaningful to you. Share a recommendation for a good book, relate a great experience you had at a local business, or tell everyone about the ups and downs of being a new pet owner. Let your customers get to know you! (But obviously you’ll want to stay away from controversial topics like politics. DO. NOT. GO. THERE.)
Social Media Roadblock #2: How to write
Now that you have your topics picked out, you might encounter the second roadblock: how to write. Don’t get hung up on this one. Every good writer knows the best advice is to write about what you know. The good news is that you’re an expert in your field, so you can definitely write about it! Keep it simple. A good place to start is with one of your customers’ common questions. You already have the answers and you just need to write it down.
Don’t worry about changing your language — just write as if you were talking to your customer. If you’re having a hard time writing it down, you might try recording your answer first and then transcribing it. Relax and be yourself, and let your writing reflect your unique personality. It doesn’t have to be perfect (although on a business page, correct spelling and punctuation are a bonus – and in keeping with your professional image)! The more you write, the better you’ll get and soon you’ll be feeling much more comfortable.
Social Media Roadblock #3: Finding the time
The last roadblock is finding the time to properly engage with your Social Media accounts. The more platforms you are one, the more time it will take, so you might want to focus your efforts on the platforms that make the most sense for your business. Facebook is usually a good place to start.
Whatever social media platforms you’re using, the next step is to make a plan. Making a plan and sticking to it will save you time. You’ll be spending a little time every day calmly following your plan, instead of ignoring your social media for weeks at a time and then working for hours trying to catch up and figure out what to do.
Here is a sample of a daily routine that you can think about incorporating. It will take you more time in the beginning to get in the groove but you can get this time frame down to about 30 mins per day. With this daily checklist, you can add it to your calendar or create a separate document, listing each task, print it out and have it on your desk to reference each time.
- Post on Facebook Business Page
- Share posts from Facebook Business Page into a variety of groups for more exposure (make sure you read the Group Rules before doing this, so you understand what the expectations are) Also, keep your shares under 10 so that you don’t end up in Facebook Jail for spamming.
- Engage in 3-5 different Groups on Facebook that are value added groups (Networking Groups, Support Groups, Learning Groups, Community Groups)
- Share your business post to your Facebook Personal Timeline with an original caption added
- Go through 10 posts in your news feed and engage where appropriate (it is important to engage on other people’s posts)
- Post on Instagram, adding the appropriate hashtags (not sure which hashtags to use? Go into Google and type “top 10 hashtags for XXX” and it will give you a list of the most popular ones)
This daily checklist will help you to keep you consistent and doing what you need to do each day on Social Media, therefore bringing you more exposure and growth.
And if you can’t get past these roadblocks? We’re here to help. Book a no obligation Discovery Call with us today for a chat about how we can help you make the most of your social media efforts.