- Don’t be afraid to get your feet wet.
You have to start somewhere. When it comes to tweeting, creating Instagram or Facebook posts, or any other social media content, it’s OK to feel inept. Failure is a part of life, especially when learning something new. Everyone can’t be good at everything. Understand that “getting good” at social media will take time, trial, and error. Accepting early on that you will inevitably have a few hiccups, may make it easier for you to relax, and step out of your comfort zone. - Decide what you’re going to post before you start
While many business owners fret over what to post to their social media profiles, this is actually the fun part because it requires creativity. Make a list answering the following questions: Who is your target audience? Describe the average customer. What are your most frequently asked questions and complaints? Create posts that address these concerns. - Don’t waste time posting nonsense
One of the most common mistakes that I see business owners make is posting statements or photos that lack substance and value. Don’t tweet about the weather or something general, instead tweet about something relevant to your office. Use hashtags and tag “@” relevant users whenever possible. Posting calendar events, and attractive, relevant photos, and quotes is a good place to start. Think like this: if you were searching for a business on Facebook or Twitter, what kind of information would you like them to post about their business? What would be of value to both you and your clientele? - Learn how to recognize a real user versus a robot account
Following and communicating with robot (or fake) accounts on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook is a complete waste of time. Many people don’t realize that these fake accounts exist, but they do — in abundance. An easy way to tell if an account is real is by checking their name, photo, and profile description. If the name and @ address both sound purposeful and make some sort of sense, that is a good indication that it is real. If the name sounds and looks fake, it probably is. Also, most real people provide a profile that actually tells you something unique, identifying factor about the person. if a short sentence like “I see you in my dreams,” is the only info. included in the profile, it could be a fake. The number of followers and “likes” you receive is not as important as the quality of the interaction. Twitter’s director of brand strategy Ross Hoffman says, “engagement is key and is something that can in turn further grow your audience (Elder, Jeff. “Social Media Fail to Live Up to Early Marketing Hype.” WSJ. The Wall Street Journal, 23 June 2014. Web. 16 Dec. 2015).”
Decide to get comfortable using social media, because it is certainly here to stay. Even if you feel lost at first, start creating content and posting on a regular basis. Focus your posts on your target audience, and beware of fake accounts and followers. Like most things in life, the harder you work at it, the better you will get
