The number of social media sites grow every single day. But how to keep up with them all? What to do to be successful? How to master the art of being social in the media? These 3 steps will surely lend you a hand.
Social Media is everywhere. Whether for private or professional usage, there is also some kind of social media that attracts people these days. There are a lot of great business basic mainly, if not exclusively, on sites such as Etsy and Pinterest.
One thing not everyone realizes though is that even though it is a “media” in which people have little to none direct contact with each other, it is still “social”. It is not about the platform, but about the people using it and among these, the ones you are able to reach with your content.
You may be an avid blogger, a fantastic photographer and have a great “presence” before a camera however, if public relations is not your specialty, you might start working on it to see your content receive the attention it deserves.
[Tweet “Interact, Leave Your Ego Behind and Give It Back to exceed in social media. #tips #socialmedia”]
Interact
Behind every single post there is the person behind it. It might be your blog, picture or video or someone else’s for whom you leave a like, a comment or that you share. In other words, it is always about people.
Things such as…
- Participating in communities just to leave your link out there for others to visit, but never returning a favor;
- Not replying to comments or questions from your public;
- Entering #S4S and #F4F but not doing your part;
- Failing to keep up promises (or at least apologizing for unexpected situations)
… will at least slow down your growth after a while.
Therefore, do not start something if you are not willing to play it through. Events like linkups are quite flexible, while #S4S (Share For Share) not so much. It is better to think wisely before disappointing your followers/readers.
So before (not) doing something, ask yourself how you would feel if someone would do exactly the same with you. What would be your expectation as a customer? Your answer should be your action.
[Tweet “How to master the art of being social in the media in 3 steps. #socialmedia #blogging”]
Leave Your Ego Behind
Blogging and social media in general has evolved so much that entries ‘dear diary’ like are not that welcome anymore. It might be great to share something more personal about you and how you spend your days, but being too narcissist might scare off your public.
Did you go recently on an amazing trip and had the time of your life? Awesome!!! Write a post about it, include some pictures (many if you have a blog about tourism and/or photography), but do not make it an endless series. It will probably bore your fans to death and sound arrogant.
Adding tips that could assist others with their own vacation such as how you saved enough money without spending off all your budget, how to travel with kids and animals or accessibility information could have the opposite effect and make your post ageless. Who has never wished they know some piece of information before embarking on an adventure?
Again, what do you like hear about other people’s stories? When do you feel bragging starts to take place? Re-read your material and check if you are not falling on the same trap before hitting “publish”.
Interact, Leave Your Ego Behind and Give It Back to exceed in social media.
Give It Back
On my blog What If Time Is Not On Your Side? I shared suggestions for those who, like me, do not have all the time in their hands to write blogs on a daily basis. Mainly in the beginning when the expenses are way higher than the income, we still have to combine our day job, hobbies, family and responsibilities. But if are consistent, also with your social media activity, you can still get rewards for your efforts.
In my case for instance, I plan 2 page shares on my Facebook page per day. This way I avoid spam (it is a page about Fitness and Healthy Lifestyle above all*) while increasing my interaction with other pages. I always like pages with my personal profile whenever I want to show support. Likes from other pages do not help increase the counts, so why not?
Even though I schedule my posts throughout the day to keep my social media active also while I sleep and am at the office, I make sure I return all the support as soon as I have the chance. Unless you are really a major star (or do not care a bit about your followers), stopping by, writing a comment, pinning, hitting the ‘like’ or retweeting content is the least you can do to thank everyone for their time and support. Schedule some time on a daily basis depending on your availability.
[Tweet “Likes from a page to another don’t count for FB. Show support with your personal profile.”]
Exceed Overall
The rules change really fast and nothing is set on stone when it comes to social media. Even so, you can still nail it by following simple steps:
Be Coherent
In my case, all my posts are about being “in shape” whether physically, mentally or personally. I believe that we are not only what meets the eyes and that if we want to shine as human beings, we should aim for completeness further than mastering just one aspect of the being. So even though I rarely share the same post on different platforms, the subject is throughout all my social media.
Can you imagine how you would feel after buying a ticket for a rock concert and having to watch a ballet instead? It is true that I love both, but the expectations were not met. If you would surely enjoy it a lot more if you knew what you are going to get in advance. So if you “sell” your brand as healthy food related, think twice before sharing too much about your favorite TV series, if you know what I mean.
Be Consistent
Whether it is once a day or once a week, make sure you are there for your followers. Sharing stuff once in a full moon (mainly on FB with their new algorithm) will lead you to the shadows. So you can choose a platform of choice and invest all that you got on it or plan it through in advance.
There are awesome tools out there such as Hootsuite** and CoSchedule that can make your presence manageable independent to your availability. Both have free versions if you want to do a test drive before compromising. I used both for different purposes in addition to scheduling my FB though my page itself. It might take practice to get things going in the beginning, but I guarantee you that it does pay off!
Be Yourself No Matter What
With all that said, your brand is YOU. The tips and experience from the most famous bloggers will only work if you are comfortable with them. The idea is always attracting people who are interested in your content. While linking parties many attract new readers for your site, they will only stay if the material you share inspire them to come back.
One of the beauties of Internet is that it allows us to reach common ‘souls’ all over the globe. You can have an imagine going viral just like that and see your status skyrocket. However, unless you are able to keep the momentum, your 15 minutes of fame may last only as long as the blink of an eye.
[Tweet “Exceed in #socialmedia by being coherent, consistent and yourself no matter what. #socialmediaSunday”]
How do you manage your social media? What is your favorite social media sites and why? Got tips and suggestions yourself?
Read also these blog posts to develop your social media skills:
- Social Media Planning Made Easy With CoSchedule
- How To Use Social Media Sites to Boost Your Internet Presence
- Start Your Day With Creativity for Non-Morning Persons (pinned more than 100 times!!!)
Social Media Sunday: The Art Of Being Social In The Media
Please check the list of link parties I join here.
Wishing you an awesome Sunday!
#DebbieinShape
* You can also find me on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DebbieInShape
Instagram: http://instagram.com/debbieinshape
Twitter (Fitness): https://twitter.com/DebbieR_Fitness
Twitter (Geek): https://twitter.com/DebbieInShape
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/debbieinshape/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/+DebbieRodriguesPlus/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/+Debbieinshape/ (em português)
* You probably have noticed that the Geek side of the blog has grown a lot since my surgery though. It is mainly due to the fact that I had to dim my physical activities during recovery. However, it is all about making the lives of my readers, as well as fellow bloggers, easier. I share tips about planning to help you find time to workout without feeling overwhelmed. And if you can organize your life in general, you will surely gain a lot of self-confidence. This is all part of being in shape.
** Since this post was originally published (February, 2015), I have made some adjustments in the way I deal with the blog Debbie in Shape. You probably have already seen my various entries on Evernote, for example. Another change I implemented was substituting Hootsuite for Buffer. Both services are excellent, but the learning curve of Hootsuite is not as friendly as Buffer’s. And for what I use it, I did not need the former.
Disclaimer: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. You will not pay more when buying a product through my link. However, when you order through my link, it helps me to continue to offer you lots of free stuff. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. Thank you, in advance for your support!