Taking the Horror out of Social Media — Kate Greenslade

WHY

First of all, what is the reason you want to reach more people? Why do you want them to know what you do? How will this benefit them and enhance their lives?

Knowing your why will motivate you when things feel tough. It’s the reason you do what you do, it’s what makes you smile and the thing you can talk endlessly about with real passion. Keep this at the forefront of your mind and it will help you connect more deeply to what you’re doing.

WHAT

Pick one platform and learn it well.

You don’t need to spread yourself all over every social platform. Apart from anything else, that’s exhausting! Find out where the majority of your clients are, and go there.

Use your brand pillars and values as a guide for your content. Focus on the outcomes you provide for your clients.

Consider how you find services or products. How do you make your buying decisions? This will give you insight into how your clients make theirs.

WHEN

When you don’t have a plan, you’ll be making a lot of decisions every day which takes up a lot of unnecessary time and energy. Once you’ve decided what platform is best for you, choose how often you’re going to post and at what times. There’s no need to be on it every 5 minutes or post every day. Really. You don’t work Facebook, you just want to connect with your potential clients.

An important rule is to stick to your plan! It will be a lot simpler. I use a specific calendar for marketing so I can see at a glance what I’m doing each week. It makes it so much easier and it means I’m not flip flopping around changing my mind every day.

The main thing here is consistency. Honestly, it took me so long to really get this and do it. I struggle sometimes, for sure, but I see results when I’m consistent.

You don’t have to be consistent but your business does. This is why automation is your BFF.

HOW

The way you see something is so powerful. If you’re seeing social media as a fight, it’s going to feel like a fight. When you see it as an opportunity to reach people who need help, you soften the experience and it allows you to show up in a different way. As you.

Talk to one person rather than a group. You’ll be more personal in terms of what you’re saying plus it’s less overwhelming. Imagine you’re sitting in a café with one of your ideal clients and they want your help. They need your help and they’re asking for it. What would you say to them? How can you help them? Use this visualisation when you write your posts.

WHAT NOW

Be clear about what you want someone to do. If you’re just giving out information without a focus or structure of course it’s going to feel like you’re just creating content for the sake of it. And that feels pointless and tiring.

Be specific about how you help your clients and what you want them to do. Where do you want them to go next? Do you have your freebie you want them to download? Do you have a website you want them to go to?

And don’t just post and run. Stick around to engage with your audience. You’re creating new connections. Remember, it often takes many times for someone to see your message before they take action.

Keep an eye on the stats to see what’s working so you can do more of that!