Social Media and Shakeratos

    In today's world, there is one marketing tool that can make or break your company and that, my friends, is social media. It's no surprise that in this the age of the internet, your presence on the many different social media platforms is crucial to building your brand, your business, and your following. The amount of effort you put into your platforms directly correlates to the popularity of your brand. If you're thinking, "social media is too hard," "it requires too much time and attention," "I wouldn't even know where to start," or even if you've already established brand social media and are looking to jus it up-- you've come to the right place, because today we're going to go over my top three Tips and Tricks for using social media marketing to your advantage. But first, how about a coffee? Try my recipe for the perfect Italian Shakerato.

    Now that we're caffeinated, let's dive into social media. Social media has become the biggest way to spread and share information, and there's no doubt that you want to get in on that. While you maybe hesitant, or technologically challenged, let me assure you that it isn't quite as hard as it looks. All it takes is a little bit of practice and the motivation to do better, and you can social media market just as well as (and maybe even better than!) I can.

Tip Number 1

    Be Intentional with you Platform Choice. The most popular social media platforms right now are Instagram (photo based), Facebook (word based), Tik Tok (short video based), Twitter (short word based), Snap Chat (timed photo based), and YouTube (longer video based.) The platforms you choose to use should depend on a few things, like what your brand is, who your target audience is, how you wish to communicate information to your audience, and how many hours you're willing to spend on your social media per week. That's right-- hours. Using social media as a marketing tool is a great way to go, but it isn't the type of thing that you can spend a couple of minute on each day and be successful in. A good social media account takes a little TLC to thrive, which is why many large businesses and corporations hire a social media manager, or even have a whole team dedicated to running their social media accounts! But don't worry, you're probably not quite there yet, and that's okay! Take some time to think about how you'd like to communicate with your audience-- do you want to post high quality and beautiful photos, or use graphics, or videos, or participate in current trends? Another good idea is to search businesses that are similar to yours on each social media platform and see what works best for them, and whether that seems like your style. Everyone is a little different, and what works for one business may not work for another. Most importantly, though, think about your audience-- their age, their likes, what they consider to be convenient, the types of social media interactions they like. SocialPilot's Irina, in an article titled 15 Social Media Tips to Elevate Your Marketing Strategy, says "Focus on the platforms that are preferred by your targeted demographic. This principle holds especially true when making social media marketing strategies for small businesses, as they can’t go around throwing resources on unfruitful activities."

Tip Number 2

    Create a Social Media Plan and Content Calendar. I know, I know, making a list and keeping a calendar doesn't seem like it should be on my list of top three tips and tricks, but trust me when I say its so much more than that. There is a lot more to social media content than most people think about at first-- you have photography, videography, photo editing, graphic design, copy writing, scheduling, translation, and so much more. You can absolutely handle it all on  your own for a small to medium business, but planning out your content ahead of time is what will save you on the days when things aren't running as smoothly as they should, or when nothing is going right, or when everything is late. Additionally, create for yourself a content calendar. Knowing exactly what is supposed to be uploaded or posted each day, and having it done ahead of time, will truly save your life, and a content calendar will make sure that is exactly what happens. Personally, I create my own content calendar in a planner, because that's how my brain works best, but if you're a screen-calendar type of person, there are so many social media content calendar options out there for you, and I highly suggest you use them. Many of them are subscription based, but many of them also offer free trials of the calendar, so that you can give each one a shot for yourself and see which (if any) work for you and your brand. Irina Weber from SocialPilot, who actually offers a great content calendar (paid, but with a free trial version), says, "No matter what you do, have a solid social media content marketing plan in place! So, use social media content calendars tools to organize and publish all your content timely and efficiently." Here's a page from the digital content calendar I created for my book bog, Read & Butter, as an example.

Tip Number 3

    Automate as Much As Possible. Listen, call me a lazy girl if you want, but social media posts can get crazy, even with a content calendar. If you end up choosing three social media platforms for your brand, you now have to remember to post on each of those platforms, at your chosen time of day (remember to always post at the same time each day-- feed that algorithm!) When I'm having a busy day, sometimes I'm doing good just to remember that I even have a social media account, let alone that I need to post on it and two other accounts. This is exactly why automating things is truly the bread and butter of social media marketing. Similar to how content calendars are offered, there are multiple companies out there who provide social media automation services. Of course, the good ones are all subscription based, but believe me when I say that the more you grow, the more it will pay for itself. Irinia, from SocialPilot who-- you guessed it-- has a pretty good social media automation service, says "Schedule your pins, tweets, posts, hashtags, and social media mentions all in one go for the month. Such an approach will save you time, helping you be more productive and focused on the overall strategy."

And just like that, we've reached the end of my tips and tricks for using social media as a marketing tool. Social media can be tedious, but it is oh so rewarding! There is nothing like seeing interactions with a post that you made for your brand or business, and knowing that your handiwork is what brought that person to get to know your brand. If you follow the tips I've just laid out for you, you'll know exactly what I mean in no time at all.

Thanks for Reading,

        The Caffeinated College Student