If you have been keeping up with our previous posts or follow us on social media, you likely already know the benefits of social media, understand the potential power it holds, and the doors it can open. But, let's be real. Developing and maintaining a social media presence takes a lot of time and a lot of effort. Content ideas, community engagement, and consistent effort isn't something that happens by luck. It takes research, planning, and trial and error.

So, if building up a social media presence is so much work, is it even worth it? YES, YES, YES! And believe it or not, it's never been more worth it to have a social media presence than it is at this very moment.

THE DATA

Every day, more and more people join social media and are spending more and more time across various platforms. Hootsuite's Simon Kemp says it best, "More than 4 billion people around the world now use social media each month, and an average of nearly 2 million new users are joining them every day" (Hootsuite). More than half of the entire world's population is active on social media. Let that sink in. And not only is more than half of the global population active on social media, but 63% of people have at least one social media account (Back Linko)

Looking at the long-term trends of social media usage, we have seen a steady rise nearly every year since 2008 (see graph below). For example, Pew Research began tracking adults in the USA's adoption rate of social media. In 2005, only 5% of adults reported using at least one social media platform. By 2011, over half of Americans were on at least one platform. And as of 2019, 79% of adults were on social media (Pew Research). And while data on 2020 is still in the works, based on the trends from previous years and the COVID-19 pandemic, these numbers are projected to increase, perhaps substantially.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

This means that more and more users are getting on social media and seeking out content each and every day. And every day, there are more users than there was the day before, meaning there is no better time than now to be on social media.

HOW TO GET STARTED TODAY:

So what's next? It's time to get started. There's no time like the present! If you know that you need a social media presence but don't know where to start, we challenge you to go through the steps below and promise you will see results!

Step 1: Make an account

The first thing to do is to decide what platform you want your business to be on. And if you need help, check out this post that goes into detail about which platforms are best for different types of businesses. Once you've decided, it's time to take the plunge and set up an account. Depending on which platform you pick, be sure to set it up as a business account/page if you have the option. For many sites, this will give you access to analytics and other helpful tools.

But what if you already have a social media account for your business, or you want to convert your personal page into your business account? We get this question A LOT. If you have a rather dead account already linked to your business (think: haven't posted for months, large gaps in posting periods, a few hundred followers), it's time to start fresh. Holding on to the wreckage will only do you more harm than good because the platform's algorithm will continue to use the information it's gathered about the prior posts, which could hurt your potential future performance. If you have a great personal page already set up and running, we do NOT recommend merging it into a personal/business hybrid account. This is a big no-no. The types of accounts that do well on social are the ones that stick to their niche 100%. A good rule of thumb is if you write a piece of content and it magically appears on your follower's newsfeed without your username, caption, logo, etc., they should be able to look at it and instantly connect it with your business. And if you're posting personal content on your business page, this will not be possible. Doing more is not always better, and in this case, trying to run a business account while also posting about your Aunt Sally is going to be a disaster. Trust us on this.

Step 2: Figure out your content strategy

At AMR, one of the first things we do when we start working with a new client is discuss content strategies. We sit down with them (now over Zoom) and plan their 'content buckets.' Content buckets are the broad, big picture topics that you want to make content about. And within each bucket, there are small, more specific content ideas. For example, if you're a local restaurant, your content buckets might look like the following:

1. Educational material

2. User-generated content

3. New menu items

4. FAQ

5. Giveaways and promotion

6. Trending Topics, updates, and current events

You should then curate posts that equally represent these buckets. Meaning that 1/6 of your content should be educational, 1/6 should be user-generated, etc.

Step 3: Start making content

Once you know what you're going to be posting about, the next step is to start building up a stockpile of content that fits into these content buckets. This is where many people get stuck, they have a general idea about what they want their content to be about, but they don't necessarily know how to execute it. Don't panic. There are TONS of resources and ways to get inspiration. Pick a few businesses that are in your niche and have about the same following size as yours, and study their content. See what performs well and what doesn't go over so well and implement these ideas into your own content. Note: we did not say copy, look at general trends, topics, types of posts, and how they engage with users.

At this stage, you will likely still be working on growing your community and figuring out your social media strategy. Don't be afraid to switch up your phrasing, call to actions, images, and structure. This is the time to figure out what works for YOU and YOUR business and what doesn't. Trial and error will also be your best friend.

Step 4: Schedule your content

Once you have made about a month or so worth of content, it's time to start scheduling it to post. There are various different platforms you can choose from that allow you to schedule your content out and automatically post it for you. At AMR, we swear by Planoly and Hootsuite (check out this post for more information on this). If you want to know more about why scheduling posts is a must, check out this link here.

Step 5: Engage

Engaging with your audience and reaching out to new users is a MUST for growing your social media platform. So much so that we've already written several posts on this very topic! Check them out here and here. There are tons of different ways to engage with your community, but the most important thing to remember is to be consistent.

So, let me ask you – is it time for your business to get on social media? There is no time like the present! If this process feels too overwhelming, reach out today to schedule your free consultation with us at hello@amrdigitalmarketing.com! We are here to help make all of your social media dreams come true!

Written By: Leah Ross, AMR Digital Marketing, Copywriter