Ah, social media. It’s everybody’s favorite way to interact with others around the world and to market their products and services. Some people reach the elevated status of Social Media Darling, while others post day in and day out without any nibbles whatsoever.
What’s the difference between the Darling and the Wannabe? Most importantly, the differences are in their social media planning and their ability to develop relationships. Even if we’re talking about selling the exact same product, how the Wannabe approaches the opportunity is often quite different than how the Darling approaches it.
Let’s break it down
The Social Media Darling cares about other people. She interacts with people every single day on social media by answering questions and replying to comments not only on her own posts but also on other posts in her feed. She shares snippets of her life instead of bombarding her followers with product pitches. The Darling also knows, through trial and error, which platforms give her the most engaged audiences, so this is where she spends her time.
The Wannabe also cares about people, but she’s posting product photos on every single social media platform available, desperate to make a sale. She figures that people don’t buy the first time they hear about her product, so she continues to post about the product. She doesn’t notice when people leave comments or doesn’t know how to respond back. She comments on only a select few posts and is spread too thin across all the different platforms.
How to Revise Your Social Media Plan
The beauty of owning your own business is the ability to do what you want. There aren’t any hard and fast rules about which social media platforms you should use, so approach this methodically. If you’re posting random photos on Instagram and getting a few likes here and there, is it really worth your time? If you post an article once a month on LinkedIn but have an inbox filled with unanswered invitations to network, should you continue to use this platform?
First, determine where your target market hangs out and learn how to use that platform. If you’re aiming to attract professional clients, then LinkedIn might be your ticket. If you’re looking for other solopreneurs or small business owners, check out Facebook. Want to market yourself locally? Alignable is a new platform to try. Can’t fit your thoughts into 144 characters? Then drop X instead of stressing about it.
Second, remember to be social. You’re much more than your business, so show that to your followers. Yes, share about your business because that’s your passion and a part of your life, but share about your other passions. Trips and travels; favorite hobbies; favorite sports teams; favorite movies or television shows. Let people get to know the whole you, not just the business you.
Social media has put almost the entire world right at our fingertips.
But this also means that there are more people than ever posting–and vying for your ideal client’s attention– than ever before.
Nowadays, if you want to “be seen,” you’ve got to know:
- Where to post—and this ever-changing metric can be elusive!
- How to post consistently amazing content—while making sure what you do post is a fit for both your platform AND your audience.
Not to mention, you have to keep up with it all–which means keeping your followers engaged, excited and practically begging for your next post. Oh, and
facilitating real relationships and conversations by responding to comments and messages in a timely manner!
If it all seems overwhelming, you’re not alone. But there is some good news…
Social media can still be a gold mine for coaches and small business owners–you just have to learn how to use it right! That means creating a social media plan to work from, and I have you covered.
I’ve created a powerful 4-module course that will teach you the critical components of a social media plan you need to know to create a wildly engaged following without burning out or spending every waking second on your smartphone, tablet, or laptop.
Social Media Bootcamp breaks it all down for you. Find out how you can get it for free here: https://iaplifecoaches.org/social-media-master-plan/
