Start at the beginning of your social media journey

I’m casting my mind back to when I started on social media, as I have spoken recently with a number of people who have said to me “Where do I start, I’m simply lost with it all!”

Thinking back, I certainly remember the fear; fear of saying something wrong, fear of being told what I had said was rubbish and fear of what other people would think of me and hoping I’d made a good representation of my workplace.

Addressing the fear

So let’s address that. People may have views about what you say, but if they’re not in alignment with your thoughts and opinions, they’re unlikely to be people who want to work with you, so it doesn’t really matter what they think. Being concerned about getting facts wrong is different. If you’re not certain, check for accuracy or don’t include the “fact” in your post at all. There are enough people in the world spouting untruths and you’re aiming to build your know, like and trust factor so ensure you fact check! The reality is that you won’t be for everyone, so you need to develop a thicker skin in business and you can’t expect everyone to like you. So overcoming the fear is an element you always need to work on but it will get easier with practice.

The next step is deciding which platforms are right for you and your business. I would recommend that once you have decided upon your business name, check which social media handles are available to you and try to keep them as similar as possible on each platform to avoid confusion down the line. It is OK to grab a handle before someone else does and not to use it straight away.  All the platforms have their own set up guides which you'll find with a simple Google Search so I won't cover the actual set up here.

Avoid the overwhelm

This is not set in stone, but a rule of thumb would be that if you're a B2B (business to business) then opt for LinkedIn and Twitter but if you're you're a business to consumer (B2C) business then definitely be on Facebook and Instagram. You may have more of a creative business which might have you working on Pinterest and there are too many other platforms to mention but try to get started and good at one before leaping into all of them.

It can be overwhelming to keep up with many platforms so once you feel that you'll happily growing one, checkout the others you want to be present on and reuse your content in the relevant format for that platform. What do I mean by that? Each platform has a different set of rules and guidelines and it is important to distinguish between them to ensure your message makes sense.

For example, Twitter has a character limit - I've seen businesses use a scheduling tool, which offers the option to use the same post across all platforms,  and invariably the post cuts off part way through the message because it was written for Facebook so what sense does that make for the reader?

You'll also see messages on Facebook full of  handles for Instagram accounts which make no sense because handle names are different on the different platforms.  Think about this when you're tagging people into your post - if it's not connecting to anywhere, it just looks messy. Try to keep your messaging relevant -  yes, it will take a little longer but a post that doesn't connect or screams “I wasn't written for this platform” in my view is less effective than not posting at all. 

Get started

Once  you've  chosen where to start, let's say Facebook as it's the most popular with 1.82 billion global users daily (as of November 2020). Simply follow the set-up instructions - you’ll need to get a few assets ready. Have a good clear photo of you - preferably doing whatever it is your business does - for your circular profile image. For example if you're a tree surgeon, perhaps you’ll be in your PPE (personal protective equipment). You’ll also need a landscape image (820 pixels wide by 312 pixels tall) or a set of images sewn together, which can be achieved using the free design tool Canva and include your logo, if you have one for your facebook cover image. If you don’t have images in your bio, it’s unlikely that anyone would be drawn to you. Bear in mind that you have 3 seconds to grab someone’s attention, so you want to be eye-catching as you’re competing with everyone else on this massive platform.

Don’t forget your links

Following your step by step guide for set-up includes inserting your website link, however, if you don’t have a website already, set up a free landing page for your business and use that. I’d encourage you to include your opening hours, as this also helps with setting out customer expectations, your location, as some still prefer to work with those on their doorstep, and super importantly, if you have some lovely client testimonials, ask them to write a review for you. It won’t take them long and social-proof is so important for you, especially as a new business. It’s a piece of “written directly on the platform” proof that you have done a great job that will encourage others to see the kind of service you can offer. These are valuable to use as a screenshot and in promotional collateral you may use in the future, so keep remembering to collect your testimonials “on platform”.

You’ll also need a brief statement for your “About” section, allowing your audience to learn what you do, how you can help them and why you do what you do. You’ve then set expectations for people landing on the page and they understand what you’re offering. It is important too to think about what you’re offering with the posts you create so that you stay in alignment. If you’re a bookkeeper, for example, and you’re going to offer financial tips but then you start talking about the holidays that you’re going on, you could lose your audience, because they’ve come to your page expecting to learn about finances. Hence it’s important to keep your focus and remember why you set up your business and your business page.

First post nerves?

Writing your first post…..what could be easier? It’s really an extension of that “about” section, so introduce yourself, who you are, why people might like to follow you and how you can help them.

I would encourage you to use images with every post to bring them to life and your introductory post needs to be an image of you - it can be your profile picture to keep consistency. This can also be “pinned” to the top of your page, so any new viewers landing on your profile will see it. To pin, simply look at the drop down menu (the 3 little dots on the top right corner of your post always signifies there’s more) and click pin. This can be unpinned at any time, but pinning is a useful tool to emphasize a particular message.

So you’ve pressed “post” and created your first message - how does it feel? You’ve taken your first step on your social media journey, now what? You ask….

As it’s a brand new page, don’t expect people to simply find you. Take a look through your friends list on your personal page and see if there’s anyone there who might be interested in liking your business page. I wouldn’t invite all your friends. People receive business page invites every day and can find it quite annoying so be selective and grow an audience who will want to follow your business, rather than an audience of friends and family who have no intention of ever “buying” from you. This may mean you only have a few likes from this selection but remember you are at the start of your journey so be kind to yourself and appreciate these things take time.

Practice being social

The next step, and one that is equally, if not more important than what you post, is to “get social”. We are not broadcast media here and if you want to be seen, you need to get involved with your industry conversations. Search out other complementary accounts and “like” as your business page - this has become easier since the (re)introduction of the business page news feed. You need to ensure the “like” is coming from your business page not (or as well as) your personal page. For this you can search pages you know and on their bio you’ll see the 3 little dots again, which gives you a drop down with a “like as your page” option, simply click that.

While you’re there, take a look around their page and see if there are any posts you like or would like to align yourself with. When customers come to you, it’ll give them a clearer idea of your values when they see the type of content you like. These actions will also bring you to the attention of the page owners - we all like to look at our insights and activity, to see who has liked, commented or followed us, it’s human nature to check this out, which invariably leads to those page owners taking a look at your page, and if you’re lucky they may give you a like back in return.

Grow organically

This activity builds what’s known as organic growth for your page and your business. It’s not a quick fix, it takes time as any relationship does, but it builds a trusting relationship as others see how you respond to different challenges, with everything in public view.

If you’re struggling for time, or simply don’t have the capacity to learn about building your social media presence and would like some help, do get in touch and see how we can work together to bring your business dreams to life.

Remember you can download my free top 10 social media tips and be the first to receive my weekly blog full of social media ideas straight into your inbox by clicking here.

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NB: In everything I write here I’m referring to using social media for business or career purposes rather than personal pages.