So…..I hear from so many people that they are not really using social media to build their business because they struggle with content writing, how much time they need to commit and not knowing what to do each day. I also here alot of “I am not computer savvy”.
The first thing you need to know is that you are definitely not alone, we all started out this way. We all have blockages and sometimes, we just can’t get past them and we have to admit that we need and may have to outsource the work. However, I hope that this blog will give you some encouragement to try and tackle it yourself.
When we talk about content creation, the frustration is not knowing what to write and how we should write it. We think we are not writers, we can’t write content like the professionals. Well, I am here to tell you that if you just write with how you talk in person, it will make things a little easier. Don’t worry so much about what others are writing, instead focus on how you write, showcasing you and the words that you would use. When sitting in front of the computer, tape a picture of a group of people that you would potentially meet at a networking event and talk to this picture as you are writing (this also works well when trying to do videos, especially if it is out of your comfort zone).
You know, when someone at a networking event asks you to tell them something about yourself or when they ask what it is you do, or maybe why you got into the business. Answer those questions out loud, while looking at the picture, and type what you are saying. As long as you are YOU, you really can’t go wrong. You don’t need to be like everyone else because you are not them.
Put together a list of topics that relate to what you are selling, then under each topic, write questions, tips, ideas, business promotion, humour, quotes, etc., with it all relating to the topic. Then start talking out loud and write what you would say if those people were sitting in the same room as you. Don’t focus so much on “am I writing the right words”, “am I saying it correctly”…..just be you, relax, talk and type. It may take some time to master this because your mind will keep stopping you to question if you are using the right words, you need to ignore those thoughts and keep writing. You could even reach out to mentor and ask them to read over your posts to see what their thoughts are. The key element out of all of this, is you just need to be you and not try to be perfect, just be real.
Now, when we talk about how much time we need to spend on Social Media, this can vary depending on how many platforms you are using. It can get very overwhelming because we think that we need to be on every platform and master them all. BUT the reality is that not every platform has your target market. You need to do some research on each platform, understand who is using it, the type of content that you need to be posting, what are the best features or what you need to make sure you are doing to benefit you and your business. At that point, pick your primary and secondary platforms and master them. Learn what you can about each one (visit YouTube for tutorials on using each platform, you will find a ton of information), make a plan based on the topics we talked about earlier and start working it. It will take you more time in the beginning, but once you master this, you will find that your time commitment will reduce. Also, look for any other platforms that can help to save you time. For example, if you decide that Facebook and Instagram are your platforms, then check out Facebook Creator Studio as it will allow you to schedule your posts for both platforms. Then, you can commit a Sunday evening or a Monday morning, to scheduling your posts for the week, the month, etc, and therefore only having to monitor the platforms for notifications, engagements throughout the days.
BUT I have no idea what to do each day on Social Media to benefit me? This is where you need to create a daily checklist of the different tasks you must do each and every day that will create the presence you are trying to achieve.
Here is a sample of a daily routine that you can think about incorporating. It will take you more time in the beginning to get in the groove but I promise, that you can get this timeframe down to about 30 mins per day. With this daily checklist, you can add it to your calendar or create a separate document, listing each task, print it out and have it on your desk to reference each time. If you wish, you can download my FREE Facebook Daily Checklist HERE.
- Post on Facebook Business Page
- Share posts from Facebook Business Page into a variety of groups for more exposure (make sure you read the Group Rules before doing this, so you understand what the expectations are) Also, keep your shares under 10 so that you don’t end up in Facebook Jail for spamming.
- Engage in 3-5 different Groups on Facebook that are value added groups (Networking Groups, Support Groups, Learning Groups, Community Groups)
- Post on your Facebook Personal Timeline
- Go through 10 posts in your news feed and engage where appropriate (it is important to engage on other people’s posts)
- Post on Instagram, adding the appropriate hashtags (not sure which hashtags to use? Go into Google and type “top 10 hashtags for XXX” and it will give you the most popular ones that you can use)
This daily checklist will help you to keep you consistent and doing what you need to do each day on Social Media, therefore bringing you more exposure and growth.
I hope that I was able to help reduce some of the fears or unknowns that you have felt with Social Media.
If you want to pick my brain even further, feel free to reach out to me at tammy@tammyhudgin.com, I would be more than happy to help.
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