Social Media Prep Part 1
You hear it all the time: “You need to be doing social media for your business!” But what does this really mean, and is it really worth your time? Social media is not a magic bullet to business success, but if you use it correctly, it will help you achieve certain objectives and accelerate your growth.
Why? How?
Because if your business has customers (and if you want more of them),social media is one of the easiest, cheapest, and most effective ways to reach them.Even better, once you reach them, social media gives you tons of different ways to interact with them and stay on their radar. Let’s start off by talking a little bit about social media prep.
Mindset and approach are key elements of any successful social media strategy. In this blog post, we’ll guide you through the philosophy behind how we use social media to create super fans of our brands.
Social Media Stories and Ads
The #1 mistake businesses make with social media planning is treating solely it as a form of advertising. Part of the reason social media is such an effective tool for reaching an audience is because the viewer has given you permission to communicate with you.People do this because they believe the content they’re following will add real value to their lives. People are in the habit of scrolling right past the traditional targeted ads of the past, because what they crave is authentic, relatable communication. There is a time and place for a harder “sell,” but you have to earn people’s trust by delivering great content first.
The Value of Social Media Storytelling
Storytelling helps you bring the “social” back to social media. Instead of shouting at people to buy a product or service, invite them behind the curtain of your business. We'll get more into how to do this in another blog, but start now by shifting your idea of communication from “selling” to “conversing.” Though it may seem counterintuitive, you’ll gain more subscribers, sell more products, and convert more customers with this social media planning method. Here’s an example from the social strategy we developed for a coffee shop. Instead of sharing the message, “Come buy this cup of coffee,” we shared messages that told a story.
Social Media Strategy
How to Speak to your Audience on Social Media
People pay attention when they know something is specifically for them. Don't try to be for everyone. You are not for everyone. In fact, you’re probably not even for most people. And that’s a good thing; it means you’re solving a real problem for a real person.
Who is your Audience on Social Media?
It’s your ideal customer. Define who they are, what they want, what problems they face, and what success looks like for them. By understanding exactly who your customer is, you empower yourself to communicate with them from a place of empathy, wisdom, and practical support.This is where authentic connections flourish.Figure out who you are as a business, establish your personality and voice. Once You find the people who think like you, crafting the right message won’t be a struggle, because you get to be you.
Progress is Perfection
If you agonize all week to create the “perfect” post, it might look cute on your grid, but it probably won't get you the traction you need to build an audience or drive engagement. Content is the driving factor of success on social media. But that doesn’t mean all your content needs to be studio-quality, editorial perfection. It doesn’t mean you have to say the exact right thing in the exact rightway all the time.
It’s easy to look at social media and think what you want to post is not worthy - but don’t be fooled! The quality and style will come with time and practice, but the most important thing, especially early on, is consistency.
Focus on posting something several times a week. Focus on sharing a small piece of your brand story and identity on the regular, and the overall picture you create will be that much more rich.Organic growth takes time and consistency in order to form connections. If you don’t show up, you won't see that growth. Keep up the momentum.
Your Purpose is your Product on Social Media
People don’t want the thing you do or make - they could get that anywhere. What they want is how it will make them feel, where it will take them, and who it can help them become. How do you communicate that?You lead with Purpose.
6th Ave Homes is a real estate company we launched and grew, with a lot of help from our social media strategy. We could have said, “Come buy a house from the best real estate company,” but that’s vague, debatable, and frankly, no one cares. They’ve heard it a thousand times from a thousand different businesses.
Instead we say, “We know you want to be original. You don’t just want a house, you want a home that feels like you.” Suddenly, instead of selling a company or product, we’re painting a picture. In just a few words, we’ve communicated our understanding of a need the reader has. We don’t even mention our objective -buying and selling real estate - we focus on the purpose behind it - uniqueness, comfort, and belonging.
Talk about your mission and core values. These are essential assets to your business. If you don’t have them,you need to create them. If you do have them, use them, discuss them, and invite people into your story with them. People want to be part of something bigger than themselves. They love supporting brands with a clear purpose and those that give back to their communities. Your messaging should always hint back at the “why”for doing what you do.
Document. Don’t Create.
The idea of posting consistently on social media can feel intimidating. You may wonder how you could create meaningful pieces of content multiple times each week without eventually running out of ideas.
There is a simple way around this mental block: View your role on social media a sort of documentation, not creation.
Remember, you’re sharing the story of what you do, how you do it, and why you do it. You’re already creating something with your business, but the business of social media is in documenting and sharing what you’re already creating.
So don’t be intimidated by the idea of what to share. You’ll end up getting stuck over analyzing and never sharing anything! Make it easy on yourself by simply showing up online to broadcast what’s happening.
Start Documenting Your Journey
Documenting your journey means the things you do on a daily basis, the real parts that make up your business, the things you’re passionate about. Instead of creating an image of your business or sharing what you think people want to see,you are establishing an authentic digital imprint of your brand. In doing so, you will connect with more people who need what you’re already creating in the world.
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Ready to see what story-based marketing can do for your brand or your career? Get started here.