Most business people I meet stall out with their social media efforts about six months in if they haven’t seen the results they were hoping for.
It feels like you’re posting to no one and it’s not working. You don’t have as much engagement as you had hoped and now you wonder if you should just stop doing it all together.
Sound familiar?
It’s easy to find another shiny object to focus your attention on. But try to resist. Trust me, if you quit after six months, you’re going to have to start all over again.
Instead, use these strategies to stay focused and on course with your social media consistency.
Have a strategy or online map
I know this sounds like a cliché but it isn’t. You’re going into unchartered territory with your social media, so it’s nice to have an idea where you’re going. That’s the map or strategy.
It should be built 90 days out, so the first time you start filling it out, it will take some time. You have to sit and do three months’ worth of planning.
Don’t forget this is mostly pillars and content ideas. Not much of it is actually finished at this point.
This gives you the chance to build a map that aligns with your online customer goals. If you want to grow your business by 30 per cent this year, then you probably want to increase your social posting, engagement and advertising by a similar amount.
Having a plan, or map, allows you to look at that big picture and decide where to focus your efforts for the most return.
If you want an example of an online map, click here for a download.
Use a scheduling platform
I use SocialPRO with my clients and their businesses, but there are a few good options available. You just need to make sure you can post to all of your platforms. The main ones are Instagram, Facebook, Google My Business and Twitter.
You want to be able to see it in calendar form, so you can spread your content across the month and across your platforms.
Some other popular posting platforms are Hootsuite, Buffer, Later and Planoly.
By using a scheduling platform, you can plan three or four hours into your month that you can use to schedule out the entire 30-, 60- or 90-day plan.
This makes it so much easier to stay consistent, because on the days when you get really busy, that’s okay, your posting is already scheduled and ready to entertain your audience.
Complete an ideal customer avatar (or ICA)
You might have this one complete already. If you don’t, it’s time to create that ideal customer you want to attract online.
You have to ask yourself a few questions first:
- Why would someone follow you on social media? What do you offer? Programs, incentives, tips, videos, strategy?
- Where does your ICA hang out? Pick two or three (at most) online platforms to dominate with your product or service.
I know that might go against some theories or ideas, but it’s better to dominate on one or two platforms than to just show up on them all.
If you download my strategy template, there’s a tab for ideal customer avatar. Once you know where your customer hangs out, then you can decide where you want to hang your online hat.
It really is that simple to have a consistent, engaging social media platform. Have a plan or map, use a scheduling platform and meet your customer where they are at … online.
Donita Fowler is an online marketer who supports entrepreneurs in their quest to be the boss of their online platforms. Got to www.interestmarketing.ca
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