Ready to reignite that spark with social media? Keep reading.
Over recent years, how we reach, connect and communicate with our customers online has drastically evolved. Largely thanks to social media. We’ve played witness to the world of digital reaching new heights, changing its course and continuing to introduce more and more ways we can further build connection and loyalty with our online communities. With these evolutions, however, often comes overwhelming adaptations, conflicting advice from multiple sources and ever-evolving algorithms. It’s enough to drive one crazy… or at least burnout and fall out of love with social media as a whole.
It’s time we refresh our perspective. As a business operating in 2023, you should (hopefully) know by now the true importance of having and maintaining a social media presence, that’s why below you’ll find a number of ways you can hopefully begin to reignite that love for social media again and get back in the game with clarity and confidence.
Tune out the wishy-washy Instagram advice.
Ever find yourself scrolling TikTok or IG Reels and suddenly listening to 10 different coaches and gurus claiming their strategies, methods, hacks and tricks for “mastering social media” and “cracking the algorithm” are the only ones that work… yep, this is what we’re currently seeing and sorry but it’s time we keep scrolling past them! It’s enough to drive you crazy and will have you spiralling or creating content far outside your brand’s strategy.
While there will always be multiple people and sources telling you different things and handing off conflicting advice, there is one thing you need to do despite it all… remain true to your brand. What these coaches and gurus are saying may be true, however, it may not work for you. They don’t know you, your brand and customers, meaning you need to take these pieces of advice with a grain of salt and put your brand’s social media strategy first. You need to do what works best for YOU. Always.
Forget doing it the ‘right way’.
… ’cause, truth is, there is no exact right way.
The social media landscape is forever changing, and trying to conquer the algorithm will forever keep us social media managers on our toes, but one thing we know for sure is that how you show up online matters and needs to reflect your brand, no one else's.
How much you should be putting into your business online and how you position yourself as the industry go-to (without the cringe factor) will depend on your social media strategy - where, who, how and why you want to show up on social media. More on this below.
Adopt a social media strategy that’s right for YOU.
What’s working for your competitors will not necessarily work for you. Go back and read that again. And again and again, until it sticks. So often in this space we see brands straight out copying from those of similar offerings, due to the fact that their strategy appears to be working for them… so, shouldn’t it work for you too? No.
Your audience is smart. They may be mindlessly scrolling, but they know when they’ve seen the same or similar style content twice and will detect it immediately. So what’s the secret to producing original content that speaks to your audience directly? Adopting and referring to a strategy that works for YOU and YOUR brand.
A social media strategy goes through your values and mission as a brand operating in the current climate and defines who you are, where you want to be and how social media will help get you there, while reflecting your brand image and connecting you with your dream audience. The content pillars that will assist you in producing and publishing content that reflect your brand and mission are also included in this strategy.
Curate your feed.
This is perhaps the most simple yet most effective method to reigniting your love for social media. Take control of your experience: Curate your feed, and unfollow accounts that no longer resonate with you or those that make you feel negatively (yes, this could be other brands). Instead, follow accounts that align with your values, style and interests. By tailoring your feed to your preferences, you’ll have a more enjoyable and personalised experience.
Plan ahead.
Social media can quickly become a weighty item on your never ending to-do list, constantly pulling at you to give it attention and think creatively and critically about the content you’re posting. That’s why planning content ahead of time will ensure you’ve always got something on hand ready to go. Whether this be a couple of hours at the beginning of the week or month, or a few minutes per day, creating and planning content in advance saves those spare of the moment decisions to just post whatever and move on. And if you just don’t have time, this is why we exist, for you.
Seek inspiration… & advice.
Build curiosity and open your mind. There is a world of creative freedom when it comes to showing up online, and when aligned with your social media strategy, your content holds great potential and opportunity. Wherever and however you feel most inspired – traveling, connecting with others, scrolling Pinterest for inspiration, or simply seeking professional advice – harness and connect with these tools and allow those ideas to flow, you never know where they could take you.
Practice digital wellbeing.
As a marketing agency, we can admit to spending way too much time scrolling (all in the name of work, right?), but one thing we need to be and remain attuned to is the impact social media can have on our wellbeing. Mental wellbeing, more specifically. This is why navigating a healthy relationship with it is essential, not only for personal wellness, but also to remain curious, inspired and not lose that eagerness for growth. Limiting your usage and practicing digital wellbeing is truly essential in the current digital climate. For more on this topic, visit one of our recent journal articles here.
How are you feeling about navigating the current social media climate? Chat with us – our emails and DMs are always open.
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