Social Media For Beginners
January 9, 2017
Marketing
I have read several books about Social Media, and while each has good information about the technical aspects of creating social media accounts, they tend to ignore the very basics about how to create a good social media presence. The foundation on which you build your Social Media persona. This is what I feel is important to Social Media success.
Social Media For Beginners
Keep It Simple – You Can Expand to Other Social Media Accounts Later
To begin, you need to select your Social Media preference, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, SnapChat, Instagram, etc. I would recommend you only start with one or two; it looks easy on the surface, but when you begin trying to keep up with “following” and “posting” it can get very time consuming and boring. Personally I like Twitter and Facebook, but select the social mediums you are already working with. If you are active with LinkedIn, use it. If you are into pictures and active on Instagram then use that. Don’t force yourself to someplace you are not comfortable, you can expand your Social Media portfolio later if you see that you have the time.
Don’t Tout Yourself and Forget to Say What You Are Selling
Next is the Content, usually just a short blurb, but very important. For example on Twitter you have 140 letters to say what is important about you and your business. Don’t waste it with stuff like: “I am a mom of three children all very smart” or “I am a dad and husband and love my family”. With these comments you just wasted about 40 of your letters and for Twitter you wasted nearly a third of your promotional opportunity. If being a mom or dad is important to you, and you just have to get it in there, simply saying “I am a mom” or “I am a dad” is sufficient. Being a mom or dad already says you have children, and people will, of course, assume your kids are brilliant and you love them all very much.
What is the Benefit to Your Potential Customers?
Advertising 101 – What is the benefit to your customer. The fact that you are mom or dad offers your customers no benefit, but that your skin cream product can make their skin smooth and silky is a benefit. So ask yourself, what is the benefit to your customer (it helps to think of how your product benefits you). Other possible benefits: The fact that you are local, you give makeup tips to your customers, you advise about eating well, you give examples of exercise programs, your products have a good reputation, you personally feel better for having taken your products (and hope they will too), etc. But if you can’t get past the benefit, for now just concentrate on at least saying exactly what product or service you are selling.
Call to Action
Remember to include a call to action, such as: contact me for catalog, visit my Facebook page, etc. You can get creative later and change the Social Media text, but for now at least remember to tell readers what it is you are selling and how to contact you and/or find your social media pages.
You Only Have Seconds to Grab People
When I am searching Twitter for people to follow I read their 160 character description, quickly, if there are only comments about how cute their kids and animals are, I pass them by. I have no idea who they are or what, if any, relationship they have to my interests or business. Also I skim fast, so the business information better stand out or I will miss it.
So How Should Your Description Look
Twitter Examples.
Note: With Twitter there is no need to put your website link in the description, there is a separate place to add a link to your website.
I love selling Avon. Been with Avon 5 yrs & believe in the Avon quality. I am a mom who works from home. Please follow me on Facebook: facebook.com/I-love-avon
You can easily cut some of the fluff, such as leave off “Please follow me on Facebook” and just say Facebook with the link. And change the first part to “I’ve been selling Avon for 5 yrs & believe in the Avon quality”.
I’ve been with Avon 5 yrs & believe in the Avon quality. Check out Christmas Specials. I am a mom who works from home. Facebook – facebook.com/I-love-avon
Other options might be:
I love selling Avon, my customers love the Avon variety and quality. I am a single dad working from home. Contact me for catalog.
Avon offers wonderful skin creams, lovely lipsticks, fun gifts, and I am your local Avon Representative. Please contact me for a free catalog.
Avon Representative in Dallas. Contact me for a free catalog to the wonderful world of Avon skin creams, lipsticks, gifts and more.
Write Out What You Want to Say, and Then Cut the Fluff with a Letter Counter Tool
Letter Counters
When creating your text for Social Media sites which have a letter count minimum, use a “letter counter” tool, just search Google to find one.
Letter Counting Tools may have notes about some of the Social Media letter count limits, but verify letter count minimums for yourself. The counter tool might show that Twitter allows 140 letters for a post, but does not mention that Twitter allows 160 characters for your profile text.
Pin A Post to the Top Of Your Page
To quote the movie “Real Genius” this is a Moral Imperative. Everyone that comes to your social page needs to be greeted with what you want to tell them. At Twitter, for example, when followers Re-Tweet, they will usually grab whatever post is at the very top of your page, don’t offer them your re-tweets from other people’s pages, promoting other people’s products. Pin a post to the top of your social media page and promote yourself. The pin option is usually in with the posting options in the upper right of a post, like a “More” or “Edit” option. Write important information that you want to share with potential customers, add an image, and “pin” it to the top of your social page.
Facebook – Change the Default URL
If you have a Facebook business or group page, take a minute to change the page URL to reflect your business. The URL is what shows up in a browser search box. This does two things, it makes your URL readable and easier to share with people. At your business page: About / Page Info / Edit – Username.
Example – bad: www.facebook.com/kirpe3245940lieps903329765ux
Example – good: www.facebook.com/mynicestore
Facebook help page to change your page URL.
Pictures in Your Posts
Adding a picture to your post will dramatically increase re-posts and sharing by other people. If you don’t know how to add pictures, learn, it is not hard.
Logo and Header Image
Just as with your text content, don’t waste your header picture, you can use your picture to provide additional information about your product or service. You can add text to your header image that offers additional information to your followers. (Note: There may be restrictions on what text you can put in a header, check it out.)
Getting your business listed on Social Media is the number one objective. But as soon as you can, add a header picture, if one is allowed. If you are not good with pictures, learn. If you don’t want to learn find someone to help you at someplace like Fiverr.
Big Note Here
Some social media sites allow for a profile picture. I strongly recommend you keep your person image business to business-casual. Casual business can be a family portrait or a picture with your pet, but not a weird or seductive picture. People only take a quick first glance, and you will lose a good portion of your potential customers with weird and seductive pictures. People reading these social websites don’t know you, and they have no idea how far afield you might wonder with weirdness and suggestive pictures. A person who posts a weird picture might be funny and witty and just all ’round fun, but their potential customers will only see weird and move on. Wait to show them weird until after they know you are fun. And if you are female, well all I can say is that half of your readers have their own cleavage and will be turned off by yours. For the guys, keep your shirt on, those ripples are probably only popular at the gym. Remember the first impression rule, you only have a moment to impress your potential customers, don’t blow it.
Do Not Post Negative Comments, Vulgar Words or Pictures, or Make Political Posts
And Do Not Follow Anyone with Bad Posts
The United State is not very united right now, is polarized politically, virtually in half, so if you make any kind of political post you have alienated HALF of your potential customers. If you make negative comments about anyone or any subject, you have alienated another group of potential customers, and if you post lurid or vulgar words or pictures, you have turned off a large group of people. If you do these things, you might have reduced your potential customers by perhaps as much as 70 percent of the US population? That is not smart!
When I am skimming Twitter and I see bad language or suggestive pictures I will not follow those people, not for the use of a single word or picture, and not because I am offended, but because I can not trust them, I have no idea how bad they might get when I am not watching. In addition, people that are loose with their words are probably careless in who they follow and re-tweet.
Keep your personal life separate from you business life whenever possible. Keep your posts positive, clean, and no politics! There are a few cases where personal is business, but for the most part they are separate and should be kept separate. And don’t follow anyone who posts or even follows people who post these things.
Additional Resources
Search Google for your favorite social media how-tos and do’s and don’ts.
Facebook Cover Photo Do’s and Don’ts
Facebook for Business: 12 Do’s and Donts
10 Most Important Twitter Dos and Don’ts
Twitter Do’s and Don’ts for Business