Social media is one of those professions that sounds really attractive.
On its face, it seems like an easy gig. I mean, what teenager or early twenty-something doesn’t know everything there is to know about social media?
Full disclosure – it is easy. It’s really easy to be a mediocre social media marketer. It’s easy to get a few likes and to share some messages with your friends and then feel good about the work you did.
Unfortunately, it is really hard to do social media correctly. So hard, in fact, that I would say that 80% of so-called experts are in fact really, really bad at it.
But, there are four steps you can take to skip the headaches and become really good at social media, and here they are…
Be accountable
For starters, creating milestones and quantifiable metrics in which to measure your results is a must. Not that hitting arbitrary numbers is going to get you where you need to go, but it really helps you stay focused when you have a mission that is difficult to obtain.
Be a student of the game
This is your profession. Your livelihood. Or, if nothing more, it is something you are utilizing to move you closer to your personal or business goals. Therefore, make an effort to stay up-to-date on important trends and topics. Bookmark this blog to learn more about “the game” each week (shameless plug).
Pivot
Social media is an ever-evolving world. Based on market or popular trends or technological improvements, you may have to shift your strategy to effectively target your intended audience. You need to have a diverse enough skill set and understanding of the landscape to be able to pivot at a moment’s notice.
Hustle
I’ve written about the engagement piece of social before.
There really isn’t a secret sauce for effective engagement. It really just takes focused effort and dedicated attention. Corey Gregory, President of nutrition giant MusclePharm describes his social media strategy thusly: “When people ask me questions on social media, I answer them.” Gregory has 645,000 followers.
It is a simple thing to do, but few have the discipline and the commitment to follow through.
Every 17-year-old kid feels very old and mature to himself. Why? Because he is as old as he’s ever been, which by comparison, feels quite old. And, in some ways, it is.
I think a similar thing happens with social media (and all other learning endeavors). We often think we know a lot, because we know more than we’ve ever known. But there is always more to know, to learn. I’m realizing this.
The hardest part of social media for me is not answering the questions or engaging — it’s playing “the game” with numbers, auto-posts/Tweets, etc. I just can’t bring myself to do it, no matter how beneficial it may seem. I’ve been advised by people in the know to stop fighting City Hall on it; but I do always want the “social” part of social media to be foremost.
So I’ll continue to learn and see how I can implement one new thing at a time, while still remaining a “real boy.” Your post is certainly a good checkpoint along that road, Reade.
Love this article, Reade – especially the point about hustle. I just think that part of good etiquette is answering questions when they are asked, and Gregory gets that.