2 questions to focus your social media channels

You jump onto Google and read article after article about how they should be posting on Facebook, tweeting hourly on Twitter, storying each day on Instagram, not to mention Pinterest, TikTok and so many more. A few hours into your search you start to notice a sinking sensation in the pit of your stomach and a strong feeling of overwhelm will creep in.

But you assume this is all part of the ‘hustle’ of entrepreneurial life. This is what you signed up for, right?

So, you carry on. You start creating your new social media accounts and schedule in some posts for the coming days. But then, life gets busy. Working in your business takes over, and working on your business starts to feel like some distant dream.

Besides, you’re just so overwhelmed by the idea of social media that you don’t even know where to begin.

Sound familiar? It’s a story that’s been shared with me by my clients so many times. Why? Because that’s the message that marketing companies are throwing out there. And it’s simply not true.

You don’t need to be showing up everywhere. Nor do you need to be showing up all the time.

There are so many tools in a digital marketer’s toolbox but you don’t need to use every one. Instead, you need to select a small number of tools and use them with purpose and intention. Just like you would if you were selecting real-life tools in a craftsperson’s workshop.

If you don’t, you’re going to end up in a bit of a mess. Wood chippings everywhere, a bruised thumb or two, and an even more bruised ego. I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t be so keen on going back after that.

So, let’s rephrase that initial question. Rather than asking yourself “how do I show up social media?”, what would happen if you asked, “how do I want to show up on social media?”.

Where are your dream customers spending their time on social media?

Take a second to think about the customers that you really want to work with. The customers that get you super excited when they send back that “yes, let’s do it” in response to your project proposal, or the ones that make you do that slightly-embarrassing-but-also-super-fun celebratory dance when their order confirmation pops up in your inbox. Where are they spending their time on social media?

So often, we over-complicate marketing. Many marketers want you to believe that marketing is this undecipherable concept that you have no hope of ever understanding. But it doesn’t have to be complicated. In its simplest form, marketing is putting your business where the people you want to work with already are and doing so in a way that makes them pay attention to you.

There’s absolutely no point in you putting in hours of effort to create a presence on a particular social media platform, only to despise working with the people it sends through to you. Instead, consider where you can find your ‘right’ people instead. What social channels do they like to use?

For me, I know that my dream clients are mostly hanging out on Instagram and Pinterest. So, that’s where I focus the bulk of my efforts. I know that I don’t need to be showing up everywhere for my ideal clients to find me.

Which social media channels do you enjoy using?

If you’re only showing up on social media because you know that’s where your dream clients are but, really, you hate that platform – you’re not going to come across very well. You’re not going to be representing your business or sharing your work in the best possible way.

You’re also going to be pretty miserable.

Social media thrives off of consistency so choose one or two platforms where you feel good about showing up on a regular basis. Where can you show up as the best version of yourself?

I hate Facebook. Really. So, I don’t spend any time marketing myself there. On the other hand, I love Instagram. It’s where my dream clients are and it’s also a place for me to have a lot of fun, to get creative and to build connections. So it’s a natural fit for me.

Don’t waste your energy on a channel that isn’t a good fit for you. Try and make your social media efforts something that you enjoy and look forward to, a welcome change of pace from your day-to-day. Show up with purpose and intention, so that you can showcase your business in the way that it deserves to be.

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