Social Media – Do you have time to keep up with the changes?

Social media is always changing.  The algorithms, the trends, amount of engagement you get… Digital marketing and social communication go hand-in-hand, so keeping up with the changes, the new features and popularity of the different platforms need to be incorporated into your strategy.

Years ago when MySpace became popular, it was pretty easy to master – basically write a fun blurb, add an image, and post! Easy peasy for the most part, right?

But then Facebook and Twitter took the world by storm and everything we knew about MySpace became obsolete overnight. So the world pivoted and began to figure out Facebook and Twitter.

We realized we could market to the world through posts, video content, ads and even create a page for our businesses – what an eyeopener this was! For the first time, the advertising field was obtainable for small business owners and cash-strapped startup companies.

And then in the blink of an eye, other social media platforms became major players like Instagram, Pinterest and LinkedIn. Instagram became THE image platform to share amazing images. Pinterest was a crafter, school teacher and cook’s dream. If that didn’t get our creative juices flowing, we could now connect with others in the professional world of LinkedIn.

Now, new platforms are being added daily, or at least it feels that way.

WhatsApp, TikTok, YouTube and Snapchat … with new platforms comes new marketing strategies, planning and scheduling apps, advertising and SEO strategies, and with this, there quickly becomes information “expert” overload.

To be honest, it’s almost nearly impossible for the entrepreneur, one-person band to keep up.

[From one of our team members] I have a family member who was a tv reporter and news anchor for a local news channel. Not only did she have to give the daily news at the tv station, but she also had to post on all the news channels social media platforms. And to encourage audience retention and growth, she had to grow her personal brand through witty and informational posts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

She often shared with me that social media had become her second job. Not only was it hard for her to keep up, but it was also emotionally draining as well, especially with her personal brand pages because she had to come up with picture-perfect images – sized appropriately for each platform, quality content consistently that gave her followers value from her page.  Then she had to deal with page management, liking and replying to comments, and community engagement – all of which was a massive drain on her time.

While growing her brand, she also had to keep up-to-date on algorithm changes, SEO keywording, branding, best practices and strategies, learning how to use the newest tools such as Reels, IGTV and Stories on Instagram. The list goes on and on!  It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and defeated.

And when you are a small business owner, your plate is fuller than my friend’s is because you are the chief financial, growth, customer service guru – it all falls onto your shoulders, unfortunately.

When you start spinning too many “plates,” some are bound to get broken. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and defeated.

So, the year’s question becomes – With all that you have on your plate, do you have time to keep up with all the social media trends and changes?

If you answered no – you’re not alone! Most people don’t! Unless you’re a superhero (and in that case, give me a call!)

So now that you have determined you are falling behind on your social media platforms and need help, what can you do?

Reach out to a team of social media specialists who will discuss with you the following steps to develop the proper strategy for you:

Step 1. Define your ideal customer.

Step 2. Determine where your client audience hangs out on social media.

Step 3. Develop a branding guide to create cohesiveness across your social media platforms and websites.

Step 4. Develop a Social Media Strategy.

When you create your strategy, you will set goals and success indicators – By January 2022, we will have 1000 followers on Instagram. With an engagement rate of -%. 

Honing in on your ideal customer even more, will help create a successful approach.

A solid strategy should include content guidelines, especially for staying on brand. It will also outline the purpose of each of your social media platforms.

Step 5. Develop a Social Media Plan.

A social media plan is different from a social media strategy – most do not know this. Planning can only occur after a strategy has been developed. This is the part where “the rubber meets the road.” Here’s where your social media specialist gets to work. They will develop, create, manage and engage the platform’s community through campaign creation, content calendars development and determine when and where to post to achieve the best engagement rates.

Step 6.  Review analytics.

Social media is a living, breathing thing that needs to be constantly adjusted.  Your social media team will keep a tab on what’s working and what’s not, why, when, etc., and continually make corrections and changes.

If you’d like to discuss your social media with us, please reach out and we can schedule a time to discuss.