Love it or hate it, social media is a valuable tool in your marketing kit. A tool you need to get comfortable with. Think about it - everywhere you go, the people around you are on their phone. They're watching YouTube videos, scrolling through Instagram, or posting on Facebook.
Your customers spend a great deal of their time on one or another of these social media platforms, in addition to many others.
Your customers use social media to learn how to change the oil in their car, to build their meme collection, to find new fashion trends, and to hear neighborhood gossip. They ask for doctor recommendations, watch live makeup tutorials, and build their dream home.
So why would you miss the opportunity to get in front of them?
You have the chance to be in their face, in their ear, and in their hand. LITERALLY! They will actively allow you to be a part of their day.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…people buy from people. Your customers need to be attracted and connected to you. Social media is a great way to build connections.
Okay, okay, you’re getting the point. But how? You’re busy actually RUNNING your small business. You have calls to make, emails to answer, orders to fill, books to balance, and the list goes on (and on and on and on; I know!).
You don't have a business or marketing degree, so how are you supposed to figure this all out while still bringing in an income and growing your clientele?
Keep reading, I’m about to help you out.
Here are 3 easy tips for showing up on social media.
Be yourself!
Be yourself because your followers care more about you than your product. Yes, that may sound funny at first, but let me explain. Your customers are human beings with emotions, thoughts, and desires. Research shows people buy based on emotion, not logic. Products and services are a dime a dozen, but YOU are set apart. You are unique. People buy from people they love and refuse to buy from people they hate. Your product or service needs to offer value, but in the end, you are the one who completes the sale. You are also the one who gains trust and fosters loyalty.
Be yourself because it’s sooooo much easier to create authentic content, representative of who you are vs following trends (which may not be a good representation of you). Let go of fear and imposter syndrome; let go of your insecurities and flaws. Allow yourself to be genuine. That genuineness will warm customers to you because they will see them-self in you. You need to be yourself because your followers will be able to tell right away if you are being fake. If they think you are fake, they’ll worry your product or service is fake. I promise, it will be easier on you. Imagine living a life free from filters, masks, and expectations. Just you being you!
Being yourself will help you attract the people you really want to work with. This is because they have already fallen in love with the authentic you, so THEY want to work with you! Imagine having people reaching out to you, asking for your product or service without you needing to give them a sales pitch? One less stress and a lot of saved time and hassle. This creates a mutually beneficial relationship from the very beginning.
Share parts of your life that don't involve your business.
Your business is only a portion of who you are as a person. You wear many hats, perform many tasks, and have a lot of responsibilities. Maybe you’re a parent, a sibling, a spouse, a best friend, or you have another job to do. Similarly, your product or service will only be a small portion of the life of your customer. Your customer is trying to navigate life with multiple responsibilities. This means you need to speak to them in a broader, more holistic sense. Customers can tell how you relate to them and their needs by the way you live your life.
Your followers will feel a deeper connection to you when they get to see how you operate as a real person. They will love that you’re a dog person, they’ll be impressed you can keep plants alive, they’ll ask for your macaroni and cheese recipe. They get invested in you and care about what’s going on with you. People are always curious to see how others live (hello reality TV) and love to see “behind the scenes”. Without all the sleazy production and crafty editing of reality TV of course. Give people a glimpse in ways you’re comfortable sharing.
You have the chance to share your work-life balance with your followers. This is a way for you to enrich their life by encouraging them to do things outside of their own work or business. You can share nuggets of wisdom, add value to their life, and demonstrate your reliability. We all know what a challenge work-life-balance can be, so any insight and suggestions are welcome!
Create a schedule.
A schedule will help develop consistency. You want to keep yourself and your brand showing up in front of your followers on a regular basis. You can only do that if you plan for it. A consistent schedule shows followers that you are reliable, capable, and trustworthy. Consistency does not mean posting a lot of content, it means posting or sharing content with regularity and predictability. This could be once a week or once a day. Whatever makes sense for you.
A schedule will keep you accountable. You already know that running a small business requires many moving parts. Scheduling out your content in advance makes sure you don't forget to create it or miss an important component.
Being proactive with a schedule also allows you to break up your content into bite-sized pieces with manageable tasks. It gives you an idea of where you may have gaps in your social media pillars and allows you the chance to get inspired for pieces of content. Plus, who wants to wake up on a scheduled post day with nothing ready? Now you’re scrambling and stressing over your social media instead of letting it work for you.
Social media can feel like a confusing whirlpool of mystery followers and an ever changing algorithm. These 3 easy tips for showing up on social media can take some stress out of running your business. Remember to be yourself, share your life, and create a schedule.
Let's set up a free discovery call so you can pick my brain for more advice or get help with copywriting and content creation!
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