3 Steps to Get Started with Social Media

The internet is full of articles and advice about social media. Do this, not that. Post this, not that. You should be on this site, not that one. With so much contradictory information, it can be difficult to have any idea where to start.

The truth is, every single small business will have a different presence on social media, post in different ways and on different sites – and you can all be successful. Use this short guide to get started using social media to your advantage.

Step 1: Choose your platform

Facebook. Twitter. Google Plus. Instagram. Pinterest. And the list goes on. There are so many social media sites that it can be near impossible to figure out which one you should post to. My first tip is to only choose as many sites as you can keep up with. If that’s one site – perfect. If you choose five, that’s great too, just make sure you do them all well.

It’s important to consider what you’re selling. If you’re selling B2C, feel free to take advantage of the usual suspects like Facebook, Twitter, Google+. However, many direct to consumer companies find a lot of success on Pinterest and Instagram, so those might be a good place to start. Alternatively, companies that sell B2B might not do as well on Pinterest as they will on Twitter.

Step 2: Strategize

One of the biggest mistakes businesses make on social media is not having a plan. Social media is all about reaching a larger audience, so feel free to get a little personal to connect with your readers. However, posting about everything from your business to what you’re eating for dinner is a mistake. Sit down and make a plan:

• What you’ll post – What is your target audience interested in? If you’re selling clothing, post about industry trends and related topics. If you’re a band, post about music. It really is that simple. And to make deciding what to post even easier, set up an RSS feed like Feedly to get a constant stream of information.
• When you’ll post – Create a schedule that outlines the days and times you’ll post. Tools likeFollowerWonk for Twitter analyze your audience and tell you the best time to reach your fans.
• How you’ll post – Logging into each site and posting throughout the day is a lot of work. Employ an easy-to-use tool like Buffer to plan posts for the whole week. (And, bonus, it’s integrated with Feedly!)

Step 3: Put yourself out there

You’ve chosen your platform, your target market, and made your plan. Now get out there and do it! Remember, everything you post won’t get liked, shared or retweeted – so don’t get discouraged. It will take a while to gain a solid following.

Getting started on social media really is as easy as the steps outlined above. If you have any questions or comments, I’d love to hear from you. Shoot me a note at jackie@jackiesteinmetz.com or leave a comment below!