EPISODE 110 OF THE MARKETING SOLUTIONS PODCAST: SETTING YOUR SOCIALS UP FOR SUCCESS IN 2023
Sonya:
It’s THAT time of year - where we’re either racing (or limping!) to the finish line of 2022, and looking forward to what we want to achieve in the new year.
The New Year brings with it the hope of a new way of doing things; the hope of new clients and new business, a new service and maybe even a new team member or two.
While it’s easy to get swept up in wanting ALL THE NEW THINGS, I’m here to tell you that you DON’T need to go hard in the new year to set yourself up for success.
In this episode, I’m going to give you three things to check - and possibly fix up - to make sure you’re on the right track in 2023.
If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard “New Year, New Me” recently… I actually wouldn’t have that much money!
I feel like we’re all a little apprehensive these days, and the old “This year is going to be MY YEAR” feels more like a jinx than a declaration of intent.
If the last few years have taught us anything, it’s that things can change overnight, and often, there’s nothing we can do to prevent or stop this change from happening - we just have to see what’s in front of us and respond as best we can.
And while it DOES feel like we’re getting back to quote-unquote “normal”, there IS still this undercurrent of being cautious, not quite trusting that the world won’t shut down at a moment’s notice again.
Fair enough too - times have been TOUGH for small business owners, and if you’re still operating? I take my hat off to you.
That said, the Covid years taught me that social media is still relevant, and can be one of your business’ greatest assets - if you know how to use it correctly.
So let’s have a look at three simple things you can do to make your socials work for YOU in 2023.
But first, a disclaimer:
I’m going to need you to step back and take a look at your social media presence with fresh eyes. This can be a little difficult when you’ve put a heap of time and energy into creating your posts, but this ONLY works if you’re prepared to be objective.
If you can’t be objective? Find a friend or colleague who can. And if you don’t have someone? Reach out - my team is happy to help.
So first things first:
If someone was landing on your social media account - be it Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn or even your Google Business Listing - would they be able to tell from your very first interaction with your account, what you do, where you’re located and your point of difference?
There’s a reason old school advertising relied heavily on taglines, particularly when brand names shifted away from the old formula of “Family Name, plus what they do” towards words that are just made up altogether!
Woolies has “the fresh food people”.
Nike has “Just do it”
If you’re thinking about creating a tagline for your business, a good rule of thumb is: no more than four words, and those four words shouldn’t have more than three syllables. If you’d get tongue-tied saying your tagline every time you answer the phone, go back to the drawing board.
Secondly, think about how you’re PRESENTING your business to the world.
If you’re a professional business and your photos are still taken on your iPhone 8 with the cracked camera lens, with an in-app filter chucked over the top, I’m going to invite you to level up.
In my local area, there are PLENTY of up and coming photographers charging really affordable rates as they build their portfolios, and I’m willing to bet that it’s the same in your town or city, too. Maybe you could come up with some sort of bartering arrangement - your service in return for a certain number of professional images.
The same goes for using a program like Canva to create your graphics. I can pick a novice Canva user from a MILE off… and so can your followers. My advice? Pick ONE template series, and stick to it.
So often we see small businesses try and do their own graphic design, only to fall short. It’s worth paying a content creator to set up some templates for you, and to show you how to use them. Because when there’s a choice between a professional-looking brand and one that looks homemade, I’m going profesh all the way.
Thirdly, what’s your objective when it comes to having a social media presence?
You’re going to hear me asking “what’s your objective” a LOT in the coming months, particularly if you attend one of my 2023 workshops.
So many people post because they should.
Because someone online told them they had to post X number of times a week.
Because their competition is posting Reels, they’re posting Reels.
If you don’t know your objective, what you end up doing is just contributing to the noise - and the noise is one of the reasons people get sick of a platform and end up moving away from it.
Every post should have a purpose. Your images and language should be consistent with that purpose. AND… you need to mix it up.
If all you do is post connection pieces, how will people know you have a sale on?
Conversely, if all you do is post about your sales, people won’t feel any connection with you, or have a reason to buy your products (no matter how good they are!)
This is where planning comes in. You don’t have to have all your posts planned out neatly, just have a general idea of your themes and frequency, to keep you on track.
If you have trouble knowing what to post and when, come along to one of my workshops, where I’ll walk you through the types of content you should be posting, and why.
So there you have it - three simple things to tweak for social success in 2023!
Make who you are and what you do clear, check your presentation, and know your objective. Simple!
I’d love to hear what content you want me to cover on the podcast in the New Year.
Do you want more practical tips? Industry insights? Let me know!
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