Why do you need social media to grow your business
Social media is an important part of the content marketing strategy for a business: it’s the key to create a stronger bond with the audience.
It doesn’t matter if you run a small local shop or a big national company.
Social media is an essential piece of your business marketing strategy.
ARE SOCIAL MEDIA WORTH THE JOB?
When I joined the blogging world about 4 years ago, things were already starting to evolve and change.
At that time, Instagram had barely picked up steam, Snapchat was unpopular, Periscope and Facebook Live didn’t exist, and Pinterest was still getting legs.
The difference? Most of the biggest social media sites only grew in popularity over the past few years. And video (especially live video) only recently made its big debut.
In my opinion, this caused a lot of overwhelm and “squirrel” syndrome because so many new things popped up at once. It went a little something like this…
I should be on Instagram? Looks fun! DONE!
Oh, and Facebook groups are cool now? You know it!! I’m there!
And Pinterest isn’t just for recipes? Okay, I can do that, too!
You get the idea.
So, you move on to the next platform over and over again, eventually realising you’ve accumulated 10 different channels that all require your time, but aren’t delivering the results you were promised.
So, DO you need to be on every platform? Spending hours per week on social media?
NO.
So, instead of being on every single platform, go deep on 1-2 platforms so that your audience really gets to trust you and your brand and knows that they’ll get quality content every time they see your username pop up in their feed.
HOW DO YOU FIGURE OUT WHICH SOCIAL PLATFORMS TO TARGET?
Here are a few things I’d consider…
1. Where is your audience hanging out most?
This tip is the most obvious, but it’s true and worth mentioning. If you’re trying to build a business, then you have to get over the hump of only wanting to use social media platforms that feel comfortable to YOU.
I’ve heard plenty of people say that they have no idea how to use Instagram Stories or Snapchat, even though they know their target audience loves those platforms.
Bottom line: don’t just go hard on a platform just because YOU enjoy it. Do it because you’re invested in creating a community for your audience, too.
2. Incorporate video.
Whether you love it or hate it, video is the evolution of digital content, and at this point, it’s hard to disagree.
Pretty much every popular social media platform — Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter/Periscope — heavily incorporates video (and often live video) into their features.
So, when you’re trying to figure out which platform to hop on full force, consider which one you can rock video on in a way that feels comfortable to you.
Some ideas:
- Facebook Live
- Instagram Stories
- Uploading videos (or FB Live clips) to your Instagram feed
- Twitter’s live video feature
- Snapchat
3. Which platform accentuates your brand?
If you’re a graphic designer, Twitter may not be your bread and butter. But Instagram might work since they’re largely visual.
If you’re a motivational speaker, you may find it more worthwhile to do twice-weekly Facebook Live classes than to post recycled quote images on your Instagram, because you know that will speak more deeply to your audience.
It’s not only about your preference, but also about which platform brings out the best of your brand.
SO, WHAT’S THE POINT OF SOCIAL MEDIA?
Social media CAN help you grow your list and sell more products or services.
But in my opinion, the MAIN goal of social platforms is to connect and engage with your audience.
So, instead of thinking of social media as a way to “convert” people, think of it as a way to build a deeper bond with someone.
Don’t just try to grow your number of followers because that somehow seems important. Focus, instead, on creating quality content and engagement on just a couple of platforms, and the community will come.
Social media have also successfully broken down barriers between companies and their customers. Now, instead of calling a customer service line, many people turn to Facebook or Twitter to solve problems or find information.
Customer care with a responsive and caring reputation, is a powerful way to offer support through social channels.
SOCIAL MEDIA IS NOT AN EMAIL LIST. AND YES, YOU NEED BOTH.
Social media can be a fabulous tool for brand awareness.
But it is not an email list.
And it will probably never directly bring you the same results (revenue-wise) that an email list can.
So, first and foremost: focus to grow your email list with some valuable content each week.
And then move on to social media. But like I said, just 1-2 platforms where you can be engaged and intentional, rather than spreading yourself too thin and connecting deeply with no one.
If you want to start a newsletter or to create lead magnets for lead generation, or simply want some tips to grow your email list, please get in touch.
With love
Francesca
This post is also available in: Italian
