Get Started on Social - Part 1

Get Started on Social - Part 1
 

You’ve been avoiding this for a long while. But the time has come. You need to give your business a presence on social media.

I know. It’s just another thing to manage. What if someone gives a bad review? What if my account gets hacked? How do I come up with all of that content? What platforms should I be on?

These are just a few of the questions that mill around in the heads of social media newbies. Yes, they are all valid concerns; and a new marketing foray into the world of social media will consume a bit of time. However, from my point of view, the benefits far outweigh the risks.

Let’s create a few ground rules to get started:

1. Just choose one social media platform to begin. Facebook is popular with the 40+ age group and can accommodate articles, blog posts, and images. You can share articles and interesting information with your audience. You can create events and join groups of like-minded individuals. Facebook is the Ground Zero of social media.

2. Then, there is Instagram. Photo-centric Instagram is Facebook’s cousin (you need a Facebook account to create an Instagram account). Each platform allows you to create both a personal page and a business page. “Insta” has a strong visual component, so it’s perfect for interior designers, hairstylists, artists, and photographers, but the platform is not exclusive to those in the visual fields. Anyone can use Instagram successfully by uploading compelling images and adding creative touches to them. Instagram is fabulously popular with millennials and Gen Z’ers.

3. LinkedIn is where you want to be if your business is a B2B! It has an entirely different feel than the other platforms because it is designed for professionals to connect, share insights and knowledge, and recruit for staffing purposes. LinkedIn likes its personal boundaries. Please don’t get too warm and fuzzy there; it’s not like FB or IG. But if you are in sales or if you need to research “who’s who” in the corporate world, link up with LinkedIn.

4. Twitter is short and sweet and also has a personality all its own. Tweeting gets your news and updates out quickly but only allows you 280 characters to do it. If you are in the business of continually pushing out information and updates, Twitter will work for you.

These are just four of the most popular platforms. My top three considerations for anyone who needs to get started are:

1. Which platform are YOU most comfortable using?

2. Which platform is your AUDIENCE using?

3. Which platform best suits your BUSINESS?

Please don’t feel that you need to start posting, tweeting, and connecting on all of them. Start slowly by picking one. You know what they say, the hardest part is getting started!