Welcome back Likeable thinkers. By now, you’ve most likely settled into the new year, with resolutions in full swing and clear goals in mind on how to make 2020 your best year yet.
*Cue the Likeables. We are here to give you some practical advice on how to ace your social media this year. Whilst you don’t have to adopt all these tips at once, focusing on just one of these points today will start you on your way to social media success this year. Here they are:
Focus on building a community
This rule applies to everyone. Whether you are a business selling a product or service, an influencer, or just simply on social media to stay in touch with your friends, community counts. If you follow us on social media, you may have seen that our social media word of the year is #groupie. That’s because 2020 is the year of connection. We are going to see a much larger focus on building authentic, loyal communities on social media platforms, rather than shallow, transactional type relationships.
How do you do this? First, stop calling it your audience and start thinking of your following as more of a community. Focus on really engaging with them and try to steer away from automated communication, as you don’t want people to think you’re a robot.
Then, instead of creating content around what YOU prefer or think will get the most likes, tune into YOUR COMMUNITY. Find out what they are most interested in, what moves them, what drives them, what inspires them – then create content surrounding that. You will see way better results.
Be consistent
Consistency is a key ingredient for social media success. Not only do the algorithms like consistency, but your followers do too!
If your audience knows they can expect content from you at a certain time each week, they will begin to look out for it and anticipate it. This type of expectation is great for your business and your overall brand because it builds trust with your audience. So, set a posting schedule for your business and stick to it.
Pay attention to your mental health
Social media can sometimes feel like a full time job, and this ‘always on’ mentality can have a detrimental effect on your mental health.
When things get a little too much, it’s important to remember that YOU are in control! Take breaks, set a timer for social media so you have a limit each day and remember that no one is chaining you to your phone and forcing you to take part.
Tip: Practice discipline. Each time you open a social media platform, ask yourself ‘what is my purpose for being on here?’. Focus on completing that one task, then close down the app.
Take the word ‘perfection’ out of your vocabulary
The rise of platforms such as Instagram and Pinterest, that focus on aesthetics, have promoted the idea of perfectionism. This has resulted in a lot of pressure on users to make sure that their feed is also perfect.
But let’s be real for a second. Nobody is perfect and your content is never going to be perfect either (oh snap, we went there). More and more, people are wanting to see the real, unedited version of your business or life, to gain a deeper connection. Attention to detail is great, but perfectionism can be a killer.
So, if you have a photo that you may not think is ‘Insta-worthy’ but you know it will either provide value or entertain your audience, go ahead and post it! Just make sure that your copy is on point (because no one likes a typo).
Be concise and offer value
Have you ever come across a post on social media that just seems to be a HUGE wall of words? Although it might be jam-packed with relevant and valuable information, it’s likely to put you off reading it, as it feels like a big commitment.
Instead, focus on writing more with less. Get your message across by writing bullet points and short sentences, using high-quality graphics to help convey your message and breaking up longer posts by creating ‘series’ type posts.
And that’s it! Your guide to social media success in 2020. If you need a little help in getting your strategy on point, let’s talk.
