5 things to keep in mind when growing a business on social media. Do you have a business you would like to grow on social media? Maybe you’ve been considering starting a business on the side and wondering how to do it on social media? In this video, I share 5 things to keep in mind if you want to go this route.
We’ve all seen the shift to marketing through social media and growing businesses on different social media platforms. We know that thanks to technology and social media marketing is a different world today than it was 10, 15, 20 years ago. Arguably, since we are in the midst of this coronavirus crisis, marketing looks different today than it did a month ago. We can reach more people and in more efficient ways all thanks to technology and social media.
So here are 5 things to keep in mind when you’re trying to grow your business in this way.
- Pick 1 or 2 platforms to focus on at first… there are a lot of options out there. I recommend starting with one or two that you are most familiar with, meaning you already know how to post, you already know how to find friends and connect with people, you already know how to use the messaging tool. Start with those first. Growing a business takes work and it takes time. If you try to spread yourself across too many social media platforms at first while you are learning about them, you are going to spread yourself thin, overwhelm yourself and possibly hinder the growth of your business rather than help it. I personally started on Facebook. And then about a year and a half ago started growing on Instagram as well. Learning as I earned. After several years of focusing on Facebook and Instagram now I feel comfortable in those platforms and comfortable enough to move onto a new challenge…And here I am on YouTube. Still learning as I am earning. It’s all a learning curve. But the beauty of social media is, it’s free. So, you can learn as you earn.
- Stay consistent across all platforms…You want your overall theme to be consistent. So the profile picture should be the same across all platforms. Your bio should relay the same message. Your content should also be relaying the same message. And don’t be afraid to re-purpose content over the various platforms. But importantly, you must, I repeat MUST, be authentic to YOU. There are thousands of influencers out there that you could copy. But I promise you people can smell a copy cat from mile away. You want people to get to know you the real you the good and the bad. In order to grow any business, people have to know who you are first before they can make a decision whether they like you, and even more importantly whether they trust you enough to purchase your product or partner with you.
- Bring value…don’t just be a taker…be a giver…give value, give ideas, give support, contribute to the community of social media. Offer things that will help people. Offer things for free. Just as an any business whether it’s a brick and mortar or online, people appreciate and respect offers to help without any expectation in return. Now, you are running a business, so you can’t give everything away for free or do everything for free. So be smart about it but just keep in mind that you want to give to your audience and give to your community.
- If you wouldn’t say it in person, DON’T say it on social media!! This rule applies to your preteens and teenagers on social media and it applies to you. Maybe in a slightly different context because hopefully you already know not to post anything that you wouldn’t show your grandmother or your preacher. But think about it in the context of building a business. If you were to see someone in person are you going to immediately just start advertising for your business and asking them to buy from you?? Probably not. Are you a walking commercial for your business in person? Probably not. So don’t be a commercial for your product or service 100% on social media either.
- Be social!! This might seem like common sense, but it’s also the most important….Think of networking on social just as you would think of walking into a networking event. If you just stand in the corner and watch, you’re never going to be seen. Remember your boss telling you to work the room??? Well, work the virtual room! Engage. Be social. Interact. Connect. Meet new people. This means if all you’re doing is posting posting posting and never engaging with people, never connecting with people or having discussions with people on the side, never providing any value outside of your product or service, then you are likely not going to grow on social media. Take time to get to know your followers. What are their interests, what are their needs, what inspires them? In return, let them get to know you. You have to share about you the person in order for people to like, know, and trust you.
So those are my 5 things to keep in mind when trying to grow a business on social media. And a question for you, what’s your favorite social media platform for growing a small business??
I recommend this book if you are curious about how to better influence on social media: Influencer: Building Your Personal Brand in the Age of Social Media – https://amzn.to/2UKR6Kl
Another great read for social media marketing is Gary Vaynerchuk’s, Jab, Jab, Jab Right Hook: How to Tell Your Story in a Noisy Social World – https://amzn.to/34h1Qn5
