Social Media 101: Social Media for Bloggers
So, you’re ready to jump onto social media. You claimed all of your accounts when you started your blog, but now that it’s time to actually get to using them what are you actually supposed to do with them?
Let’s talk about the social media basics, a social media 101, if you will. So, if you are just getting started in the world of social media for your blog and have an “all-in” attitude but absolutely 0 know how, this one is for you!
Related: Setting up your social media accounts
Social media isn’t…
One of the easiest ways to start painting a picture of social media is to share with you what social media is not. There are a lot of ideas out there and I want you to be able to weed out some of the bad advice, okay?
Pinterest is a visual search engine. And, as a blogger, you probably know that it drives a lot of traffic. The goal of the platform to foster the sharing of ideas and foster creativity.
You might hear people call it the “introvert’s social media platform.” But, don’t be confused. Though Pinterest is considered a valuable tool in anyones marketing toolbelt, it’s more like Google and SEO than it is like Facebook or Instgram.
Built specifically for businesses
Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram are really focused on connecting people, not businesses. So, when the platform makes changes, they are likely to be in service to the regular users, not businesses.
Don’t let yourself become a victim of the, “I can’t believe that they would do that to us!” mindset that many businesses owners adopt. There is. a beter way to approach all of this social media stuff, I promise.
Built to drive traffic to your website
At one point, in the days of Facebook, it was really easy to drive traffic to your website. Facebook ads were an east and affordable place to get subscribers and traffic.
But, as the platform evolves and changes, so does the algorithm. Now, the focus is on showing content to users that they engage with or spend time looking at.
These networks just aren’t built to drive people AWAY from the platform anymore. And they shouldn’t be, really. They make money when people spend more time on the platform, but so can we!
SEO
Search engine optimization is all about getting your blog posts to show up in the Google search results. Much like Pinterest, SEO is a part of the marketing toolbelt, but not really in the realm of social media marketing.
All about you
Ouch, right? One of the biggest misconceptions about social media is that since you use it as a person everyday, you know how to use it for business.
But when you use social media with this mindset you miss the fundamental difference between the two uses. Your personal profile is all about you, your business profile isn’t. It’s about your avatar.
One-size-fits-all
Groans. I know, I know! You’re tired of hearing this from marketers, right? It’s the #1 answer to the question: “What should I be doing on social media? I just need a roadmap or something.” Let me explain?
This statement comes from the experience social media marketers have. When you work with a large variety of businesses and clients, every single one gets a custom plan. They all look different. Because each business has different goals and customers.
But that answer, while SO right, isn’t super helpful for newbies.
And I don’t want you to feel like you’re still in the dark about social media.
So now that you know what social media isn’t, let’s talk about what social media is. Then, I’ll give you some first steps to get you started
Related: 4 major mistakes all bloggers make on Instagram
Social media is…
Strategic
As a personal user, you don’t really have to think a lot about what you are posting and when. It’s kind of a free for all, share what you want kind of place. But as a business owner, you need to be a little more strategic than that. What does that mean? When you create content you need to keep in mind what your avatar might want to see. I like to think of this as, “If my friend were my avatar, what kind of content would I share with them?”
In short: Make your content, including your bio and about areas, appealing to your avatar.
Social
Before the introverts turn around and run clear in the other direction, hear me out. When I say social, I don’t mean like going to a party or large gathering. I mean, you can’t be a total wallflower. Which is sometimes easier said than done, especially for this ultra introvert!
My energy gets sapped pretty fast, even online. So, instead of feeling like I’m wading through a party of a zillion people online, I focus on a few people. So, when I get on Instagram my mindset isn’t, “Oh. my. goodness. How am I going to be seen in all of this?” My approach becomes, “Who can I get to know a little better today?”
When my focus changes from many to just a few quality connections, I feel so much less overwhelm. Just start with 1.
The 1st place someone might find you.
I know that ideally we would like for people to find our websites first, then our social media. But the reality is, a lot of people go to social media before they go anywhere else to find information about a business or brand.
So, your social media should be a reflection of what you share on your blog. Give them a taste of the kind of content they can expect to see on your account. People want to do business and connect with actual people, not a website, let your personality shine.
Just 1 marketing tool
Sometimes we get our blinders on and forget about the big picture.
I believe whole heartedly in the ability of social media to connect me with other people, to build community and to build my brand.
But it isn’t the only tool I’m using.
There’s email marketing, Pinterest, paid advertising, content marketing and so much more. And they can all work together to help you grow your blog because each one is reaching people at a different point in their purchasing journey. Cool, right?
1st Steps for Newbies
Set goals and objectives for your marketing
This is a big one. Actually, this is one of the first things I learned in my advertising classes in college. It’s all about creating a cohesive marketing plan that is actionable and measurable. So here’s what you need to know:
Goals are the overarching thing that you are trying to reach. Usually something that you don’t actually have control over. For example, a goal could be to get 300 people onto your email list.
Objectives are the things you are going to do reach your goal. These are the tasks and to-dos that you have control over. An example of a goal that could be part of the above objective is: Post on Instagram stories about my freebie 1 day each week and ask people if they are interested in downloading it. This is clear and measurable.
I like to set goals and objectives monthly or quarterly. It give direction to your actions for the quarter and really narrows down your focus so you don’t waste time on tasks that aren’t super important.
Data is everything
Once you have goals and objectives for your marketing, you can start tracking data.
You can track just about anything, and what you track will be determined by your goals and objectives. You can track things like: engagement on each post, DMs, # of sign-ups as a result of an instagram story you posted, etc. Honestly, you track just about anything!
And when you have data, you can make informed decisions moving forward. This is, essentially, “Post more of what people are engaging with.”
Don’t try to “beat the algorithm”
Anyone who says they have done this, is either using slimy social media tactics or actually just understands the algorithm.
You want to work with the algorithm, not against it. And if that sounds complicated, I promise it isn’t.
Let’s use Facebook and Instagram as an example. They have the regular user in mind when they create the algorithm. So, they show users more of the content that they engage with. The less they engage, the less they will see that account or that type of content.
Social media is always changing
What works today might not work tomorrow. That’s ok. Stay informed, keeping tracking your analytics and you’ll be fine.
A few years ago, there was a big switch in the algorithm that took it from a chronological feed to a engagement based feed. And a ton of people lost their minds and never learned to adapt to the new algorithm.
These are the people that post things like, “Instagram is limiting the content that goes into your feed, if you want to continue to see content from me, please go like and comment on 3 posts in my feed!”
There is an uptick of posts like this every couple of months. Please, please, know that if you are posting content that your avatar actually wants to engage with, this will never be a problem for you!
Don’t worry about being perfect.
The worst mistake I ever made on social media was posting out of fear that my content wasn’t “good enough.” Remember that quantity results in quality. The more regularly you post, the more you learn about what you should be sharing.
Only be afraid of not posting at all. You’ll figure it out along the way!
Keep the user in mind
It’s really easy to craft a call to action, add a link and post. But is that the kind of content that people will engage with? Is that the kind of content you would engage with?
Odds are, no.
Try changing up the types of content you are posting. Maybe instead of posting a link, break up the blog post into a few sections and post over the course of a few days. Or go live and cover the topic. Using your analytics, you can discover what kinds of content your avatar likes best!
No stress!
I’ll never know everything about social media, neither will you. That’s okay! My goal is to keep learning and when you know more, adapt. It can be easy to let social media overwhelm us, but it doesn’t have to.