Be Social on Social Media

So many business owners forget about the “social” part of social media. A huge component of what makes social media work for you is actually being social – and that takes work. It’s simply not enough to create your personal profile and business page and then disappear, waiting for people to find you and buy from you.

While that sounds like a great idea, it just doesn’t work because marketing is about building relationships. And what do good, strong relationships have in common? Consistent communication and interaction between groups of people. You are sitting back and waiting for others to do the work is quite the opposite of communicating and interacting.

Plan Daily Posts:
Consistency is key to growing a social media audience and that means daily posts on your personal profile, business page, and in your prospect group if you have one. Content should be carefully created and posted to avoid getting labeled as a “spammer”. Ride the social media wave in the way social media was intended – as a news feed. Educate your audience and add value to the mutual relationship. Become a valued source for information, not a cheap gimmick.

Think About Your Target Market:
Who is your ideal client? What time do they visit social media, during the day or evening? Do they belong to any particular groups? Think about that special client avatar – your ideal client – and plan your postings accordingly. What do they really need help with? Do you have advice that can help them? Understanding their needs will aid you in reaching them directly.

Tips & Facts:
There are 3.78 billion social media users worldwide in 2021
Facebook, Facebook Messenger, and YouTube are the top 3 networks for every age group globally
Facebook has 2.74 billion monthly active users
Social Media by the Numbers
84 percent of US adults aged from 18 to 29 are active social media users. 81 percent for the 30- to 49-year-old age group. 73 percent for those aged from 50 to 64
96.3% of Facebook users use at least one other social media platform
90% of them use YouTube, 73% use Instagram, and 52% use Twitter
⅔ of Facebook users visit a local business Page at least once a week
Facebook has an advertising audience of 2.14 billion
63% of Americans use Instagram every day
32.4% of Facebook’s audience is aged 25-34. The next largest group is aged 18-24, representing 23.5%
79.9% of Facebook users only access the platform on a mobile device
Pinterest is now home to over 300 million users
500 million people use Facebook Stories daily
84% of people use Pinterest to help them make purchasing decisions
1.3 billion people use Facebook Messenger
1.8 billion people use Facebook Groups

Leave Comments to Start a Conversation:
Instead of just “liking” a post on someone’s page, try leaving a comment or asking a question to start a conversation. This can occur in a group, page, post or personal profile. Be authentic when choosing your words and if a conversation ensues, consider sending a Friend Request. Engagement drives reach and reach drives expanded growth and new audiences.
Pay Attention to Who Leaves Comments and Likes Your Posts:
When someone leaves a comment or likes one of your posts, click into their personal profile and determine if this person is a part of your target audience. If so, consider sending a Friend Request or following them. Build a authentic relationship. Show them the value of your product over time.

Share Some Free Advice:
This is especially true in groups when other members ask a question or need help solving a problem. If you know the answer, give it freely instead of adding a link to your product (check the group rules first). You don’t’ have to give away all your trade secrets but this is a simple way to show others in the group that you know what you’re talking about and you care about helping others.

Plan an Online Event and Encourage Others to Share with a Friend:
Video is HOT right now when it comes to reaching your audience and developing a relationship quickly so take advantage of using Facebook Live and/or quality video content to make your brand pop. Plan out what you want to talk about (consider an overview of your business; or a sneak peek at workshops; or the Top 10 reasons why you need X, Y & Z). Create some buzz and let your followers know the day and time of the Live event and encourage them to share the day/time with their friends. In this scenario, your video should offer useful tips or information for your target market. If they like what they hear and they are attracted to your style of presenting, they will search quickly become followers. Be creative when it comes to finding new followers on social media and remember to nurture the relationship with these new friends.
Educating yourself and utilize these tips and trick will help you become more confident in your social media game!