SOCIAL MEDIA. The two words that are bound to make most of us quiver in our boots (/trainers/stilettos/wellies - we're not Shoesist). What is it about opening up our entire lives for the world to see, that we love SO MUCH? Hand-in-hand with the reality TV boom, social media has interrupted the way humans communicate and engage with each other, simply removing the "what goes on behind closed doors" boundaries previous generations have experienced. Except, not really, because as we all know, social media provides us with only the most pre-selected, edited and filtered snap shots of our daily lives.
Why has it been a success for business owners and start-ups then? Well, for one thing, it's free. Setting up an account is free, engagement is (for the most part) free, delivering your product into the palms (albeit digitally) of your audience, for nothing. Nada. I love it. But also, I hate it. Like, really hate it. Why? Because it's a never ending drain on my time, patience and brain power. I become locked in a roller-coaster relationship that even Carrie Bradshaw couldn't match. In the lead up to posting my brain plays an internal tug of war with itself, what I like to call the Social Media Vortex of Doom and it goes a little something like this; "Should I post that image? Does it fit with my brand voice? Is it too salesy? Too arrogant? Too light-hearted? Am I posting too early in the day? How many likes have I had so far? How about now? How about now? Why is NO ONE liking it? I hate Instagram. Should I delete it? WAIT! SOMEONE JUST LIKED IT! TWO PEOPLE HAVE LIKE IT! I love Instagram. and so on until my head explodes.
Social media can be your best friend, or worst nightmare. If you nail it - you'll have a gaggle of groupies who will religiously like, comment and share your content, in turn growing your audience. If you aren't social mediaring (new word alert) correctly it can actually damage your brand image. People begin to dislike it. Perhaps you only posted two photos in three months, or you keep posting pictures of your cats when your followers want to see images of your latest paintings. Whatever it is that causes a disconnect between your brand and your followers is bad news for your company. Getting it right is imperative to what could be a rich and rewarding relationship with social media. Otherwise it's just like that one guy you dated once, who took you for a three course meal, expected you to pay and never called you back.
Need to up your social media game? Join us in Winchester on the 18th October for our social media workshop, designed for those who are fresh into the world of social media, need a reboot or want to better utilise their current accounts to boost engagement. Fall in love with social media and learn how it can become a powerful tool for you and your business!
