Tips & Tools to Simplify your Business Social Media Strategy

 

Can I be honest? I didn’t want to write about social media… I know that sounds horrible. 

Why? Because it can be exhausting sometimes.

Gone are the days where you just post online to get likes or to be nosey. Lol

Now, social media is a marketing business filled with algorithms and systems to promote some platforms and hide others. Now, there are social media experts, social media scheduling apps, and coaches making millions of dollars for managing and consulting social media accounts.

 

What used to be free and easy marketing is now filled with branding, themes, and hashtags.

 

But, what do you do when you can’t keep up with all the hype?.

 

What do you do when you really want to just focus on your business? Yet, you spend hours and hours trying to keep up with growing your social media. And what used to be free marketing, you’re now spending thousands of dollars to hire social media managers, buy expensive stock photos, and buy your followers…(yes, I said it.)

 

 

 

 

 

See, when I first started BeautyinTheRoughDraft last year, I just thought I could write and blog and provide resources, and that’s all I would need to do. But, then I was told that I needed an IG business page and a Facebook business page, and a Pinterest page, and it wasn’t long before I was spending more time on my social media than I was on my actual website content.

I got so frustrated with social media marketing that I said enough is enough.

If I have to do all this just to draw in a crowd, then it’s not worth it. Lol.

 

So, I started trying out alternate methods. I simplified my system with tips and tools that were actually useful & didn’t break the bank. 

& no, I don’t have thousands of followers (yet), But my social media engagement AND profile visits doubled within the first month of using this system.

See, I don’t deny that Social Media is important for your business.

• It expands your potential reach.
• It provides a space for you to engage with your audience.
• It allows you to engage with other businesses in your field and learn about new industry trends etc.

 

But, there are several myths out there that is causing bloggers & businesses to close their doors because they’re not getting any traffic from the Instagram account they’ve spend thousands of hours & dollars to perfect.

 

3 Common Myths about Social Media Growth for your Business

• If you don’t have the perfect color logo or brand, you won’t attract followers.
• You need thousands of followers in order to grow your business.
• You can only show the finished product… the perfect or ideal story…

 

& it’s not that these things don’t help with your business.

But they’re not always necessary.

Don’t allow your “imperfect” social media account to allow you to be lazy in your business or not market yourself as you should.

 

Social Media is important.

& it can actually be enjoyable.

You just have to develop a system that works for you.

 

Some people can post 3x a day. Some people can only post every other day. Some people can Instastory their entire day every day and some people would rather keep some parts of their lives private.

No matter what your preferences are, there are three key things that matter most in your social media.

 

3 SIMPLE KEY CONCEPTS TO

MASTERING YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY

 

[box-1 align=”left”]

• Be CONSISTENT

No matter if it’s 2x a day or 2x a week, get on a routine. Your followers should know your routine and know when to expect a post. & it’s okay if that’s not 3x a day. As your page grows, your followers will become accustomed to your schedule. No one is saying, “I’m not going to follow that person if they’re not posting every detail of their life.” No, it’s more about the quality of WHAT you’re posting, not always how often. This brings me to the next point.

[/box-1]

 

[box-1 align=”left”]

• Be RESOURCEFUL

I’m gonna keep it real. What’s the point in having a pretty picture if you’re not saying anything of value?

What’s the point in paying for the expensive stock photos if you’re not going to use them to produce meaningful content for your followers?

Be RESOURCEFUL.

Your followers want your resources.

They want to know how you do what you do.

They want to know how you cook the meals you sell to others.

They want to know how you maintain the side hustle, family, and full-time job.

Don’t just let social media be a place to sell your products.

Allow your social media following to see you.

Allow them to learn from you.

Don’t bore them with pretty pictures, INSPIRE THEM.

It doesn’t matter if you have an online business or a brick & mortar store, use your following to connect with and provide education for your followers.

[/box-1]

 

[box-1 align=”left”]

• Be RELEVANT

Are you posting things that connect with what your followers are currently dealing with?

This is one of the issues with creating content months in advance. What you’re saying may not be relevant to what your followers need to hear at that moment.

Being relevant requires you to be engaged with your followers.

It requires you to do more than just follow someone to get a follow (& then unfollow them)…

Your platform is not there to just elevate YOU, it’s there to raise you up so you can turn around & serve THEM.

So, be observant of your audience’s needs.

& from that, you’ll create content, products, and services that are relevant for your customers.

[/box-1]

 

So keep it simple.

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF:

• What’s going to be MY schedule so I can stay consistent?

• Is what I’m about to post resourceful & relevant to my audience?

Resourceful & relevant content is what gets reposted and what helps grow your reach.

 

Ok, I’m off my soapbox.

Moving right along to what you came to see.

Here are some Tips & Tools that I actually use to simplify my social media strategy & still see results in my blog & business.

 

[title align=”left” type=”none”]Tips & Tools for Simplyfying your Social Media Strategy[/title]

 

1 Keep a running list. Make a flexible schedule. 

Tools I use: Notes app or Asana

Typically, on my notes or Asana app, I keep a running list of potential posts just as they come to mind randomly & I divide them by category (see below). Then, right before the beginning of the month/week – I create a schedule of what I want to (1) teach or inspire, (2) promote, and (3) engage with my followers for that week/month.

Content CATEGORIES I use:

(1)Teach/Inspire (tips & tools, quotes, devotionals, etc)

(2)Promote (promoting my posts, services, resources, etc)

(3)Engagement (Q&A, reposting other people’s content, getting feedback from my followers (ex: what are your goals for the month? let me know in the comments below)

On Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, I will teach.

Tuesdays and Thursdays, I promote.

Saturdays and Sundays, I engage.

This is JUST an example. Again, if you can only post a few times a week that’s fine. Just decide how often and what topic you’re going to post on certain days to create a routine that works for you. This makes it easier than aimlessly searching around trying to find something to post for the day. You will already know the category you need to cover for the day.

Hope that makes sense! Email me if it doesn’t, and I can explain further.

 

2 Simply your social media planning systems down to one, no more than two if you can.

I personally like to USE Canva to create AND plan my feed.

Tools I use: Canva & Wordswag

Canva is a great, FREE mobile and desktop application that allows you to create graphics for pretty much anything. What I like to do is create multiple pages for the week and/or month and create the graphics as a whole during my batch days (see below). This allows you to still be mindful of the “look” of your page AND plan while also CREATING your content. Kills two birds with one stone. Then I save the pictures individually and post them as I schedule.

There are lots of social media planners & scheduler apps, but this just makes it a lot easier FOR ME. Again, FOR ME. But try to simplify and streamline the systems you use.

WordSwag – is also one of my favorite mobile apps to create quick graphics. It already comes with templates, so all you have to do is put your quote and text and play with it until you find the look that you like!

 

3  Create batch days for social media.

For example, my batch days are Sundays and Wednesdays from 7pm-9pm.

So during that allotted time, I work on social media ONLY.

Try to keep your batch days & hours the same.

This creates a ROUTINE without burning out.

When you start out, you may only be able to get a few posts done in those 2 hours.

But as you get better, you’ll get quicker.

Just set aside a time and stay consistent to that time.

 

4 Engage with your followers more often than you post.

An easy way to still be engaged with social media when you can’t post 3x a day is engaging!

You comment on someone’s post, I promise you, they’ll notice. & then, they’ll go to your page. See what you have to offer. Maybe make a purchase or subscribe.

& there, you’ve added to your profits without even telling him/her personally about your product.

Customers are still people.

& people want to feel valued.

People want to feel heard.

So engage with your followers. Comment on their pictures. Watch their stories.

This is a great way to still be engaged and market yourself and your business without spending endless hours creating fluff content.

 

Well, hope you enjoyed my tips & tools!

Social media doesn’t have to be a pain.

& you don’t even necessarily have to use my tools.

The point is to keep it simple, consistent, and relevant.

 

Social media is important.

But it is also just a gateway to your products and services.

& if what you have to offer is poor quality, then all the social media marketing is for nothing.

Focus on your products/services. & set realistic goals for your social media strategy.

You got this!

Until next time!

Mel