Irrelevant to whether you love or loathe Social Media, the 21st-century phenomena is here to stay.  The minefield that is social media may initially seem a lot to take on, but here are ten ways to make it work for you, your business and still have a life.

 

1. Keep it human.

You have a voice so use it. Auto-generated posts stand out in the social environment and are the quickest way for fans to hit the unfollow button.  Talk as you would to a favourite customer and not just about business.  Share enough to make it feel personal without giving too much away. Tell them about an exciting new supplier; the lambs born yesterday;  the start of the asparagus season and what you cooked with it last night. You do not need to tell them who was at the dinner or drank too much.

 

2. Be Regular

It is not enough to post the occasional tweet or picture and expect to reap rewards as social media does take work but does not need to take over.

Post on a regular basis by getting into a routine that works for you and your followers.  Keeping an eye on responses to postings, you will begin to see time patterns of when your followers engage. Tip #3 will help with this. 

 

3. Ask Questions and Initiate a Conversation

Social media is a two-way street so ask questions of your followers. Their responses assist you in getting to know them, what they engage with, at what time of day and also reassures them that you are a real person.

 

4. Promote but Don't Overdo it.

Sure, we all know that ultimately all this tweeting and posting is to help business, so obvious promotions are more than acceptable. Just don't overdo it or watch those follower numbers shrink. 

 

5. Follow if You Want to Increase Followers

This is the quickest and easiest way to grow numbers. Social media is not just about you and your business. So, unless you are Stephen Fry, a Kardashian or the BBC, you need to share the love by following and liking other people. Success will follow. 

 

6. Follow Your Competitors

Follow your competitors and industry contacts if you want to know what they are up to as this is one of the quickest ways to find out.  Be assured they will be following you as well and for the same reason. 

 

7. Drive Traffic in the Right Direction

The ultimate goal should always be to drive traffic to your website or business. Make sure you are always pointing followers to where you want them to go. Make it easy for them to find you by providing links (always check they are working correctly) or directions. 

 

8. Get the Right Help.

You have to be in it to win it, so if taking on social media is simply too much to deal with, there is plenty of help around, but it needs to be the right help. You may be tempted to ask your teenage nephew to lend a hand, after all, they are the generation who 'get' social media. More importantly, however, is who knows your business as well as you, or has the same passion. It is that voice you need, not simply someone who knows their way around WhatsApp. Digital marketers are good at faking voices, but ultimately, nothing beats the real thing.

 

9. Never Engage in Negativity

Inevitably troublemakers will pop up. Never engage publicly in a dispute, this usually is their aim, and there are no winners.  These aggravations are hard to ignore with a strong a temptation to defend your position. Avoid this at all costs. A little confrontation can be healthy but easily misunderstood, so is best to avoid. 

 

10. Very Important - Be Happy

If you want to engage your followers and increase their number, then keep your tone upbeat and lively. Keep misery, bad weather, poor takings and staff problems to yourself.  No one wants to hear about it.    

 

 

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