Socializing in the Cloud
Social media is an extension of, and really a marriage of, your brand and your website. Like your brand, it defines your essence to the public. Like your website, it's an excellent way to reach and teach your fellow geeks, to drive traffic to your site, and cultivate a relationship with the public that, yeah, might be a little co-dependent, but in a good way.
But there is definitely a wrong way to use social media, and unfortunately, the dos and don'ts of social media are constantly in flux. Below is a snapshot of the dos and dont's of social media today, but remember that this can change on a dime, thus the #1 "do" below: remain flexible and current. Okay, here's your snapshot:
1. Remain flexible and current:
Right now you should apparently be doing "video instead of text, TikTok instead of Facebook, and Instagram instead of Twitter." Three months from now, maybe not so much. Take it in stride if you do end up needing to change your approach, but don't overhaul your strategy without researching first to see if the change is really going to best help you reach your target audience.
The good news is that the basic rule of all the social media platforms is to get good content out there, so once you have that figured out, learning the newest platform for doing that isn't so bad.
As a side note, don't be afraid to reuse content if it's great and gets a good reaction. Just use it at the right time and place to best ensure you'll get another great reaction.
2. More is not More:
Start with a simple goal, keep your content closely related to that goal, use only the most effective hashtags, use only the most effective social media platform(s), and target your most receptive audience.
Put another way, don't try to promote every idea you've ever had, don't use content that's all over the map just because each part of it might be interesting to someone somewhere, don't go crazy with hashtags (originality is great but if no one else is using your hashtag, you are an island), don't try to have a presence on every social media platform, and don't try to be everyone's best friend.
Now, this is where research comes into play, because even though everyone seems to be using TikTok instead of Facebook or Instagram instead of Twitter, your target audience may be made up of outliers. It's imperative you go where your fellow geeks are because, chances are, they're not going to be looking for you or they won't know how to find you even if they are looking.
Also, while you shouldn't try to use every social media platform out there, it's best to grab the usernames and domains you'd want to use, just in case. You don't want someone else opening accounts under those names and taking control of your story.
3. Don't Hide:
Do use your real name and make yourself searchable. Do search for yourself and make sure there's nothing embarrassing lingering out there on the interweb from your past. Do share some things about yourself, especially with regards to what you geek out about if it's related to what you're trying to sell (others will be drawn to your passion), but don't overshare. The world doesn't need to know your every thought and feeling.
Make sure your posts pass the Pause Test: sit with it, imagine what kind of reaction you'll likely get from all types of people and be sure you're going to be able to deal with that, make sure the post is communicating what you actually want to say, and if you still feel great about it after all that, post it!
Don't hide from criticism! Critics can be turned into cronies if you handle the situation well.
4. Invite interaction:
People love talking about themselves. They also love being part of a community. Give them the opportunity to do both. As a result, they'll probably draw other users to your feed and you'll gather data on what they want and what other commenters are looking for. It's a win-win situation.
Okay, those are the basics in a tiny nutshell. This topic really could go on forever, so here are some resources to help you find your footing:
If you want to know more about how we can help you be social media savvy, contact us now!