3 Keys to Implementing Social Media into your Business

When businesses begin to use social media, the biggest mistake I see happen again and again is trying to do Too Much, Too Fast.  From my experience with the start-ups and businesses I have worked with, Ive been able to develop Three Keys to Implementing Social Media into your Business.

1. Don’t Spread Yourself (or your business) too thin

One of the worst things you can do for your business is to sit down and create a Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Youtube, Google+, and even if youre feeling crazy throw in a MySpace account. Think of it in the eyes of your customer/viewer: seeing 5+ crappy social media accounts is not going to impress them. Actually, it will do the opposite. First impressions are everything, and for someone to view a twitter account with an Eggshell Avatar and 3 followers can put a serious damper on trying to engage with a viewer.

My Suggestion:

Unless you are willing to dedicate a large portion of your time to successfully managing a bunch of different platforms, stick to one or two channels and go hard with them. Plan out content into the future for those less-creative days. Having a professional looking account will help your business be credible. Take the time to develop a cool banner and profile photo

2. Develop a Strategy

Sit down, grab a Venti Iced Mocha Latté Frappuccino No Whip Cinnamon Caramel Drizzle drink, grab a pencil and paper (or a laptop), and brainstorm. Think about your target market, your business, what you sell, what services you provide, and hit the drawing board. What is the most effective way to get your message across? A photo, text, an article? These are the things you should be thinking about. Read my blog post about How to develop a Social Media Strategy for more information on this.

3. Make a Schedule

This may seem silly and too structured, but I promise you it will help you stay on the right track. This schedule is really to make sure that you don’t lose sight of the big picture, and that your content is remaining relevant. Posting sporadically is still essential to every great social media presence, and I am not saying you should plan out all of your tweets, however I do think that developing a schedule each week with each of the topics you want to cover is very important in staying focused and getting your message across. Here is a very basic example of a twitter schedule I would make for a Start-Up Restaurant in Saskatoon focusing on utilizing local farming and being involved in their city. This schedule’s main focus is to ensure that the restaurant’s values, interests, and vision are all being portrayed through their twitter account.

By following these three keys, your business will be well on your way to becoming a social media powerhouse in the near future. More tips to come!

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