Argh! It’s the school holidays.
Don’t get me wrong, I treasure the time I get to spend with my family. But the holidays always make me feel a bit tense — slightly manic, trying to stay on top of work and kids.
But the thing is, people get busy for all sorts of reasons. Business gets busier (or slower), roles expand or change, people get sick, or go on holiday. All these pressures can make you feel anxious, but they can also mean things start to fall through the cracks.
And one of the first things to fall through the cracks tends to be social media.
Why?
Often people are managing it on top of their existing workload, or it’s seen as a nice to have. Sometimes it’s not intentionally let go, but people just don’t get to it by the end of the week.
Today I want to give you 3 reasons why social media is too important to drop, and 3 things you can do to keep it going.
Easy (I promise).
3 reasons why social media is too important to drop
Your audience is there: Studies show that there are 3.5 million people using social media on a daily basis in New Zealand, with 73% of them using Facebook. That’s a huge number of people that you have the opportunity to reach just by turning up and posting. Many of these people would be unreachable without the aid of social media, so without it you’re missing out on a huge chunk of the population.
Your competitors won’t stop: Whilst you’re absent from social media, your competitors will still be posting. They’ll be targeting and capturing those that you’re choosing to miss out on. The average person spends two hours a day on their social platforms. This gives your competitors a two-hour advantage over you every single day that you don’t post.
The algorithm wants you: Social media platforms work with algorithms and codes. It’s our job as social media posters to keep these algorithms happy. Post regular, engaging content that your target audience loves and they’ll be happy. And Facebook, Instagram and YouTube will reward you for it with more visibility and reach. Once we stop posting and our followers stop engaging, we start to lose momentum and we let the algorithm win.
3 things you can do to keep your social media going
Create your content in batches: Pop Peppa Pig on repeat or set up the handball court to keep the kids busy and dedicate an hour or two to creating a set of posts for the next couple of weeks. Creating your posts in batches will help get your creative juices flowing and ensure you’re not having to come up with something fresh on the spot every day.
Scheduling is your friend: Scheduling tools will change the way you use social media. No longer will you need to be at your desk or attached to your phone every day. Scheduling for set days and times will let your followers know when fresh content will be posted and you’ll see them coming back for more in no time.
Share the load: I get it, sometimes you just need to unwind and unplug from social media and work. Share the load — have someone help you with posts to take the pressure off. Share the task with someone who knows your brand and knows your audience and will do your social media presence justice.
Here at Likeable Lab we take the time to understand you and your brand and will happily share the load, whether it’s the holidays or not. To understand how we can help your business grow on social media, get in touch and we’ll see how we can get the ball rolling.
~ Likeable Kat
