You’re creating your new app, your new software, or your new restaurant. You’ve been at it for months. Suddenly, you look up. Oh no! You need social media. You have to spread the word! But you have nothing! What to do, what to do? After all, 72% of all internet users are now active on social media (Jeff Bullas).
Look at the Top Traffic Generators
- Facebook has 1.44 billion monthly active users, of whom 65% are daily users (VentureBeat)
- Twitter has 316 million monthly active users (Twitter)
- LinkedIn has 300 million users (Forbes)
- Google+ has a few million active users (TechTimes)
- Pinterest has 50 million users (Mashable)
- YouTube has 1 billion monthly active users (Social Media Hat)
- Instagram has 300 million monthly users (CNN Money)
Consider Your Demographic
And please don’t say it’s everyone! Are they Millennials? Women with college degrees? Of a particular ethnicity? This article from Pew Research gives an excellent overview. Then consider where that person shops, eats, and lives. Ask five people who would use your product or service how they use social media. A short survey could help. Don’t forget to consider the visual aspect of your business. That is, is it very visual or not at all visual? If it’s very visual, Pinterest and Instagram are good choices.
Consider age, gender, ethnicity, as well as interests and level of techno-savvytude.
Pick Three
Choose the three that appeal most to your target audience. Let’s say you’ve picked Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. The easiest way is to begin with the one you already know or use.
Narrow it to One
Start with the platform you already know to hit the ground running. Say you’re already a Facebook user. Set up a business account. Set up your profile, business hours, and physical address if you have one. Then: 1. Post when your fans are online, 2. Use large, beautiful pictures. 3. Use Facebook’s native scheduler.
Choose Daily Topics
Say you’re going to post five times a week, Monday through Friday. Let’s say you have a restaurant, for instance.
Your daily topics could be:
- Monday: DIY food, specials
- Tuesday: Behind the scenes with the chefs, nutrition
- Wednesday: Wines and beer that goes with food
- Thursday: Comfort food
- Friday: Why people deserve to have dinner out, Happy Hour
Rinse and Repeat
Once you have Facebook under control (it will take more time in the beginning, naturally), add Twitter to the mix. Then add Pinterest. Now spend 20 minutes per social platform (use the same or similar topics). Schedule some posts and engage with people. Of course, this is greatly simplified. Facebook is not Twitter is not Pinterest. But you get the gist.
Still Stuck?
Hire a social media manager. Here are some things ten of the worst social media managers do. Make sure yours don’t do any of them. Let me know what else you’d like to know in the comments!
LOVE that you narrowed it to 3 and start with where you are comfortable even if it’s not the best. And don’t forget about time for engagement :)
Thanks, Robert! Business owners like to see immediate results, so I figured if they could see some movement right away they would be encouraged.
Carol
Okay. I love this. I’d even say pick three industries that parallel yours and follow them. For me, I pay attention to Social Media Managers, Orange County, and WordPress folks. That helps you stay focused, too.
I like the three industries idea, Bridget. And following three kinds of people: social media managers are the connectors. Orange County would be the local people, and WordPress people are super connected and techy, too.
Thanks for the comment! I appreciate that very much.
Carol
Your blog has beautiful graphics. I also always learn something new and interesting. Have you thought of doing social media for a living?
Thank you Mr. Pants! I am certain that you are a real person, with pants. Therefore, I will write back to you while I am wearing pants also. Thank you for the comment about the graphics. I will let the International Division of Graphics Advisor know.
Is it possible to do social media for a living?
Thank you!
Carol
Your approach really makes social media seem less overwhelming. I like how you break it down so logically. It’s like I could start with 10 minutes a day and work up from there! Also, I’m pretty sure I can stop updating My Space now. Hardly any of the clowns I know use Alta Vista to find it anymore, so I generally just check it once a month in case somebody wants to send me a fax.
Hi Lisa,
You really could start with 10 minutes a day. And maybe work up to 11 minutes eventually! I won’t tell Justin Timberlake that you’re quitting My Space. Some of us might miss Alta Vista. It was the only thing around, back in the day. I saw an article about it, though. I’ll send you a fax!
Really.
Carol
Social media can be so overwhelming, especially if you are “new” and trying to grasp it as a “newbie.” I agree that you can get a lot accomplished (and decrease the learning curve much faster) if you dedicate 60 minutes a day.
Hello Tess,
I thought that newbies might appreciate a greatly simplified, 10,000-foot-view of what they could accomplish in 60 minutes. That’s IF they avoid falling down a rabbithole.
Thank you for your comment,
Carol