Is sorting out your business’s social media presence on your 2021 to-do list? Whether it's Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube, being smart with small business social media can ensure you make the most of your time - a Business Mentor can help with this! Here are some tips on choosing which social media platforms make sense, creating content to showcase your brand and setting up a social media calendar for consistent presence.
Look for a good fit when choosing social media platforms
Before you launch an ambitious plan with social media, it's worth being strategic in your choice of platforms. Your customers and your own capability should play a role in your decision. If you can find an intersect between your customers’ interests and your strengths with social media, you’re on your way to finding a social media sweet spot!
Firstly, think about which social media channels your customers prefer and which might influence their buying choices. Our blog about understanding your target market has more information about understanding your customers.
A second consideration for your choice of social platforms is your own preferences. If you can’t stand writing, but you love making videos, then you’ll probably be more successful on YouTube than Medium. If you have a bunch of staff who love sharing their photography, then Instagram could be an easy win.
Create content that showcases the best of your brand
Once you’ve determined your channels, list a handful of values to focus on. This will allow for easy brainstorming about posts that are ‘on brand’. The values you choose should be related to your unique strengths as a brand or business.
A restaurant may start with themes such as ‘fresh, local produce, welcoming staff, unique ambience, exceptional flavours’. This could generate ideas for their social media pages such as interviews with growers, staff profiles, a weekly staff playlist, a floral feature, food reviews, sharing customer stories etc.
Schedule success
Setting a calendar is one of the easiest ways to keep the stress out of social media and ensure your presence is consistent and effective. There's a lot you can do in advance! Each business can look ahead to key dates with an idea of the kind of content they'll need. Seasonal promotions, relevant days of observance and industry awards are some examples.
Aim for an achievable minimum number of posts per week or month. It’s much better to be consistent than have a flood of activity followed by a drought. A balance between promotional posts and those that inform and engage your audience is valuable. The social part of social media matters. Like in any social setting, you don’t want to be all ‘me, me, me!’ A bit of ‘give and take’ is essential, just like in a good conversation.
A handy general framework to maintain balance in your content is the rule of thirds. It makes planning for three posts per week or fortnight easy. With this framework, you set up 1/3 posts of as promotions, 1/3 of posts to offer useful or interesting information, and 1/3 of your posts as interactions to engage your audience.
If our restaurant were to use this framework, it might look like this:
- Monday: Promoting new menu
- Wednesday: Handy tips for choosing the best fresh herbs
- Friday: Ask customers for their favourite candlelight dining song of 2020
Focus your efforts for efficacy
Putting your efforts where they’ll have the biggest benefit is a great way to get your social media sorted for 2021. The steps above can help you find a fit between your customers and your capability, as well as focus on the right content and set a practical schedule so you’ll stay on track for success.
In any area of business planning, keeping your priorities in perspective will help you be more effective. Every Business Mentor brings an objective point of view and lots of experience that they're ready to share. They’ve led their own business and found out what works – and what doesn't. These insights can save you time and stress, and the first step is only a click or call away at Business Mentors.
