Every friend, family member and expert that has come on The Today Show has mentioned how you need to be on social media to grow your business. You have jumped on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, MySpace, Snapchat, Pinterest, Tumblr, Instagram, Google +, Ello, and several others. The only problem is you’re not standing out in the market. That can be frustrating.
You have entered a crowded online platform not knowing how to stand out in a crowd of millions. Thinking the best thing is to just go with the crowd or jump ship immediately. Avoiding Social Media Abandonment is very important. First, don’t just jump on the bandwagon because everyone has told you your ideal audience is on a certain platform.
Questions To Ask Yourself About Social Media:
Why I am entering this space?
Do I have anything relevant to add to the platform?
Can I be consistent with my message, style, and brand identity?
What am I trying to gain from being on these platforms?
Can I dedicate 10 hours a week to social media development?
Do I need to hire a company to run my social media?
Is my audience actually using these platforms?
Is this going to produce a return investment for the time?
After you have honestly answered these questions, it’s time to dig deeper into the platforms you understand. Not just the popular ones. When Pinterest was in its beta stage what peaked my interest was being able to source the original images vs what Tumblr offered. To be completely honest, Tumblr was not bringing a return investment for my business compared to Pinterest. There are pins from almost two years ago that bring in 1000 page views a week.
Instagram is a great way for me to show my expertise for ICB Consults. I love having conversations on Twitter. It’s not about having a million followers. It’s about having an engaged audience that responds, supports, and shares. You must create realistic goals for what you want to achieve on social media. What are your thoughts when it comes to social media for small business?
