Pinterest is very cool. Facebook is everywhere and everyone is using it. Linkedin is important for professional connections and Twitter is, well Twitter.
Here are 10 important things to remember when using or planning your Social Media strategy.
1. You are not alone!
Everyone is confused. OK – so some of us make it look easier than others, but ANYONE who says they aren’t baffled and confused by the rapid growth and changes going on with social websites is lying (in my humble opinion!)
2. You do NOT have to use social media to be successful.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – using Social Media will not make you successful. If you’re getting leads, making money and happy with your marketing, then who’s to say you HAVE to tackle Social Media? Who knows, tomorrow the entire internet may go down – where will us social media folks be then? In all seriousness, I know that you can generate leads and marketing buzz with social media, and I know many successful people who have never touched the stuff.
3. The tools have changed, the principles have not.
Have you noticed that everyone has been talking about the “Law of Attraction” like it’s some kind of new and magical concept?
Well, it’s not. It’s a principle that’s been discussed in every religious and new thought text. There is nothing new about “as you sew so shall you reap”, or the “law of attraction.”
The same goes for sales. What are we trying to do with Social Media? Selling our stuff! No one will buy from you unless they know who you are and they like you. Facebook is just a tool to spread the word about how great you and your “stuff” are.
4. Social Media only takes a couple of hours a week.
I’ve heard people say that you have to blog every day, tweet 30 times a day and spend an hour a day on Facebook. Nonsense! Blogging once a week is pretty darn great in my opinion!
5. You can pick one channel and make a big impact with it.
A lot of the confusion I encounter is around the task of getting an account on every social media site. Stop! I help people determine one site to start with. Often it’s Facebook, but there are good reasons to start with Pinterest or Linkedin or Twitter. I like folks to get confident using one of the sites and get their social media feet wet. The rest then comes much easier.
6. Every social media site has its own personality.
So, you think you have to have a Facebook page, learn how to tweet your peeps, figure out what the heck Pinterest is and look like a million bucks on Linkedin. Really? You don’t. Proctor and Gamble and McDonald’s have to be on every social media site every day, all day – but entrepreneurs, artists, and small businesses? Most of us would be wasting our time if we tried to tackle it all. So where to start? Think about what kind of “personality” each site has and then pick the one that fits you!
- Linkedin: Professional, educated and affluent.
- Facebook: One of the gang, where the masses hang out, where people go to have fun and relax.
- Twitter: Educated, technical, gabby and smart.
- Pinterest: Creative, visual, crafty, artsy, smart and organized.
- Instagram: Hipster, professional, artsy, creative, loves their phone.
7. You Must Be Authentic
Be Authentic. Be Yourself. Write conversationally and tell it like it is.
8. You Must be Discerning.
If you get a little twinge as you’re posting something or writing something, think before you click OK! For instance, say you’re going to tell people that they don’t have to use Social Media when it’s part of what you do for a living (help people use Social Media)… and a little voice in your head says “Are you sure you want to tell people they don’t NEED social media?” This, of course, happens to me every time I put it in a blog. I made the decision long ago that this is part of my truth as TekMiss.
9. People come online to be educated and love lists like this one.
Headlines that promise you will learn “X number” of things about a topic draw the most attention. If someone feels they need to know something, and they see a headline that promises they will learn it by reading 5 or 10 “things” they will click! If you’ve read this far, I’ve proved my point!
10. If you entertain people you hooked them!
If you can make someone laugh, cry or be inspired you’ve made a friend! Share cartoons (see the TekMiss Pinterest board filled with cartoons) (be discerning of course), share great tips, create a “how to” video.
11. Social Media is FUN.
Do you swim? Do you paint? Do you love makeup? Like to cook? Do you ride a bike? Do you golf? Was any of this fun to learn? No, it’s frustrating and tedious at first.
Social Media is really incredible because it’s organic.
It’s flexible.
Once you understand how to use the tools, you begin to look forward to using them.
For example, if you finish a great project you will get excited that you have something great to tell people online!
If you need a little more help, download some of my Social Media DIY e-books.
I look forward to connecting with you online!
Kathy Rausch
Love this Kathy. I always value your smart, simple, no-nonsense approach to social media and Tek! As a decidedly non-Tek person, I always feel inspired and empowered by your messaging and it’s always a great reminder to pick one thing, focus, be yourself, and have fun with it 🙂