Want to know how to show up consistently on social media to grow your business? Then this post is for you!
Social media can be a black hole for your time and energy. You can easily forget about the rest of your business when you are busy tweeting and working on Facebook campaigns. It had to happen eventually because it happened to me too. To save yourself from this, create a simple action plan that will ensure consistency on social media.
Have you ever read a fantastic blog post and followed the writer on social media only to find that, even though their blog post is great, they aren't consistent enough with publishing? I'm sure it's happened more than once. Getting on the right platform is not enough because you also have to consider frequency. If you're on too many platforms, you won't be able to show up consistently on any of them. It's about finding balance and scheduling your post ahead of time.
Showing up consistently on social media isn't as hard as you think, but it does take energy, knowledge, and something most of us are generally lacking: consistency. Below, I'll break down the steps it takes to show up consistently on social media.
Choose a platform to show up
Social media is not a place where you can just show up and expect people to flock to you. Social media is where you have to work at it, put in the time, and consistently deliver. People will come to you if they know what's in it for them. The way to get people to know what's in it for them is to be consistent across all social platforms. You must be present on social media consistently.
What platform works best for your business? - Do some research before you dive into any of them.
Are there better places for your demographic?
Is Facebook your best bet because your demographic is more likely to be found there?
Or are they more likely to be on Instagram or Pinterest?
Find out where your customers are spending their time and focus on those platforms first. It's okay if you don't go everywhere right away, but pick one or two channels and focus there. It's also okay if that channel changes over time based on your audience's needs and wants.
There's no need to be active on every single social media site out there, particularly if you're a small business with limited resources. But do choose one or two platforms where you'll post regularly and engage with followers. If you're not sure where to start, review the analytics for your website's traffic. Chances are good that at least one social network will show up in the top three referral sources for your website traffic.
Here's the thing about social media: It's not "one size fits all." The platforms that work for one brand may not be the best for another. It all depends on whom you want to reach and what kind of content you plan on sharing. For example, if you're a PPC company, then Facebook probably isn't the best platform for you; however, if you are a digital marketing agency, then it might be your most effective place to be. Regardless of where you decide to spend your time, make sure that it aligns with your brand's goals and objectives.
PS: I recommend that you secure your usernames across all platforms so that your brand is consistent across all channels.
Decide how many times you want to show up
Decide how many times you want to show up during the day. The more you show up, the higher your chances of getting exposure. If you have limited time, show up once in the morning and once in the afternoon or evening. This is part of your business development strategy, so you can't just show up on every platform at once. Pick a few platforms that are most relevant to your business and/or target audience.
But consistency is the key to making social media work for you. It may seem like the simplest things are overlooked, but consistency can make or break a message or campaign that you are trying to build. You need to be consistent in your messages and share them often enough so that your followers know when to expect something from you.
A consistent presence shows commitment. Social media can be time-consuming, but if you're going to do it right, it's worthwhile. A consistent presence shows followers and fans that you're committed to being online and interacting with them. It also provides an opportunity to tell people about things they need to know, like new products or service updates, even if you don't have a lot of time in your schedule for posting.
Research what pain points you want to target
Find out what problems your target audience is having. There's no point in talking about something that isn't relevant to people—they won't care! The best way to find out is by asking them questions and listening carefully to their responses. If you want to build an online presence quickly, put yourself in their shoes and ask yourself how you can help them with their problems.
Find out what pain points you want to target.
Create content that talks about how your product or service fixes those pain points.
Identify the platforms where your audience hangs out online and make sure that you're there too (and participating in the conversation).
Find ways to share those pieces of content regularly across those platforms so that at least one piece of relevant content (yours) per platform shows up every day for each platform.
Put together a schedule for when you'll be posting on each platform each day (more frequently than once per week).
Write topics you can help with
The first step is finding your voice. You have to find topics that you know a lot about or that you truly care about and that are not just "trending" topics. Have you ever gone to someone for advice, and as soon as you start talking about what's going on, they interrupt you and say, "I hate to break it to you, but..." followed by some crazy story?
This is why we don't like being interrupted. We want someone who will actually listen to us and help us solve our problems. So take the time to find subjects that you can actually help with.
Identify what topics you can help people with: This is the most important step. Decide on the topics on which you can share your expertise before you begin scheduling posts. Start by creating a list of topics your audience is interested in. Then, on each social media platform, find out which content gets the most engagement and shares from your followers.
Look at your competitors' content as well. Once you've identified the topics that resonate well with your audience, add them to a master list and make sure to post about them regularly.
Create at least a week's worth of content at once
Creating a content calendar is a simple process that can go a long way in helping you plan your social media content. The goal of the content calendar is to save you time and energy by providing a framework for the topics you'll be covering over the next year, three months, or even one month (depending on the length of your content calendar).
TIP: Set up your calendar at least four weeks in advance, so you have plenty of time to schedule new posts, promote current posts, and add new topics and ideas to your schedule as they come up.
Creating an editorial calendar will also help you effectively manage multiple social media channels. For example, if you're planning to publish new blog posts on Mondays while sharing fun content on Wednesdays and Fridays, there's no reason why you can't post those same updates on Twitter and Facebook as well.
Schedule your posts
I know it's tempting to just do it all right away, but if you spread it out and use hashtags strategically, it's more likely that people will see your content. You'll get more likes and shares if you spread it out over a few days instead of all at once. I like using Facebook Creator Studio for scheduling Instagram and Facebook posts and Pinterest Native Scheduler for Pinterest Pins. It lets me schedule my posts for the future, so I don't even have to be at my computer when they go live.
Repeat
You can't just post once and hope to see results. You need to keep posting consistently. I recommend posting at least 3 to 5 times per week with a similar message throughout your posts. I also suggest posting on the same day of the week and at the same time of day. This will create a rhythm that is familiar to your readers, and they will check back more often than if you posted sporadically throughout the week.
Plus, if you go away for any length of time, people might think that you have abandoned them! They will appreciate knowing that you still exist, even when you are not actively socialising with them.
The main takeaway from this should be that consistency is key. Choosing a platform to show up on repeatedly and then scheduling your posts at regular intervals is one of the best ways to establish credibility and authority online. And once you begin showing up frequently and establishing yourself as an expert in your niche, you’ll find opportunities to sell your services expanding before you.
With these seven steps, you can take advantage of a tried and true way to show up on social media consistently. This method will come in handy if you have a blog or if you just want to be an engaging member of any given social media channel.
If you want to show up consistently on social media, you need to take a systematic approach. Identify the platform, the times, and the topics you want to discuss. Create and share content on time. Get into the habit of producing content at a regular frequency. If you do these things, you can automatically scale your social media presence.
Social media is a great place to share your expertise and connect with your audience. To do it consistently and at a regular cadence, you need to create a posting plan in advance. You might even be able to create a substantial amount of content in a single sitting. You can then schedule them out over the coming weeks (or months), so you're always sharing something new without running out of topics.
Do you ever feel like showing up on social media is getting difficult lately?
Then try these steps to make your routine stick.
How do you show up online regularly? Let me know in the comments below.
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