Andrea Learned

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Take Charge of Social Media

SocialSignThe questions that most frequently come up when I speak or coach on social media involve capacity issues – and the answers lie “within,” as a lifestyle guru might say.  If the idea of getting more serious about leveraging your company’s Twitter feed or Facebook page haunts you more than it excites you, help is on the way! The big, unspoken truth is that YOU are the one in charge and no one else. Here are a few examples of what I mean:

Issue – You don’t have time to be on five networks all day! How can you possibly do your normal work if you add social media in?

Reality –Start by picking just one network and begin to slowly identify people to follow and strategic topics to contribute to. Manage expectations by deciding for yourself how much time you will put into it (30 minutes a day, perhaps?), and then do it consistently. This may mean you are on Twitter for a bit around 10 am and 3 pm every day.  Nothing is set in stone, so – like an entrepreneur – be ready to “pivot” as you see patterns of audience engagement emerge.

Issue – You know that content strategy needs to be part of your social efforts, but – again with the capacity problem (!) – you cannot write a blog post a week or create other forms of content on your own.

Reality – In this case, spread the love. Think and plan for content curation rather than creation, and you’ll see ways to get the job done. Look at a team of people as contributors (plural), rather than you, as the sole manager of it all. Share the work and the fun, building a “social” community on your chosen networks as well as within your company along the way. Reminder: YOU decide how many blog post, videos and other formats are a fit for your company and your team’s time and interests!

Issue – You love Facebook in your personal life, but just don’t see how it can apply for your work.

Reality – Maybe it doesn’t. No one ever said that a Facebook page was the only way to go, and it is certainly not the obvious go-to for business-to-business marketing. Instead, take a few minutes to think about where your audiences are likely to be and you’ll know which channels to prioritize. Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn may well be the better places to raise brand awareness and build thought leadership.

These are just three of the issues that hold people back from really exploring and committing to social media.  Yet, they – and a lot of the other ones  – can be resolved by re-claiming your right to choice!  There is no law that says you have to be on several social networks for hours at a time each week. There is no rule proclaiming that you, the person spearheading social media development for your company, must also be the sole writer/editor/contributor.  There isn’t necessarily a connection between your favorite channel for personal use and where you will most effectively reach and serve your B2B market.

Trust in your own wise, strategic, intentional and calm approach to guide social media capacity decisions, and see powerful results (and likely have fun!). Bottom line: Your competitors and customers are waiting there for you! Let me know how I can help.