First, sorry for the gap in posting. February kicked my butt, so I’m playing catch up this month.
Now, Social Media. We can love it. We can get overwhelmed with it. We can despise it. We can <insert your feelings here>. Regardless, it is one of the best ways for business to put themselves out there, for free. The downfall, not everyone knows how to use it correctly.
You decide to start a business. You come up with the name, get registered, find a program/website to use to promote your business, then you make your social media pages/profiles. Before we move further, I need to clarify something.
On Facebook, you make pages. You do NOT make another profile for your business. You risk getting that profile taken down. You “technically” aren’t supposed to have two profiles in general. People like to have one for friends and family & one where they add everyone for business purposes. The Facebook Gods want you to be social on the platform. If you are using the profile for business, just know the risk of being shut down.
Okay, back to scheduled programming. So let’s say you’ve made your Facebook page and Instagram Account. You share it with your friends and family in hopes they will help you promote. Only a few like the page, follow you on Instagram, and/or even acknowledge you are starting a business. Now what?
I often hear from others how their friends and family don’t show support with their business. A hard truth is that your friends and family are not obligated to. Yes, you would think they would want to promote you seeing that you are close, but it’s not always the case. It’s up to you to continue showing up and prove that you are serious with your business.
Not that you’ve made your mark in the Social Media world, it’s time to prove to others why they should trust you and come to you.
Facebook and Instagram are two of the most popular social media platforms for businesses. It can also be tough to get others to find your page/profile to even show what you offer. What can you do about this? Well, the answer is simple. Be social and be consistent. Here are some ways you can show up on Facebook and Instagram.
Join Groups
There are articles that show that Facebook and IG are wanting to get back to the roots of Social Media. Which is being social. Facebook groups are a perfect way to do just that.
You will need to find groups that align with what you do, sell, and your market’s personality/habits. Are you wanting to work with Female Entrepreneurs only? Find groups that are for female entrepreneurs. Do you create products for parents & kids? Join parenting groups. Looking for a particular niche? I promise there is a group for it.
When you join groups, make sure you look at the rules. More of them are focusing on engagement rather than having people post their info and leave. A good bit of groups have particular days where you are allowed to promote yourself. Make a spreadsheet with the group names and days you can promote.
On those particular days, make sure to look through the group and interact with others. People support who they “know”.
Don’t Be Scared to Talk About Yourself
As someone that felt as though she would annoy others talking about herself, I understand why people don’t post about what they do all the time. They want to keep business and personal separate. Which I understand.
Another thing we need to understand is that our business is a part of our life. We aren’t working someone else’s job. This is yours. You are working hard on your business, and you should want to talk about it.
I needed the help from a coach to realize this. My tip to you is post about what you do. You never know who someone knows. Also, you’re “the shit” for starting and running a business. Why wouldn’t you post about it?
When you’re on Instagram, you should be posting pictures of yourself. People want to see you. They want to see what you are doing and “feel” you out. Find a balance of posting about your business and your personal side on this platform.
Get off Your Profile off Private
If you’re on Facebook, it’s okay to have your profile set to private. The beauty of Facebook is that you can control who sees your posts on your profile. When you talk about your business, you can set that particular post to public, while keeping your other posts private. Also, get into the habit of at least linking your business page to your profile. When others go to look you up, they can see your business name & page.
On Instagram, you can’t promote your business from a private profile. You either need to create separate accounts or just choose what you want to post on your profile. As mentioned above, people do like to see you “living life” as well. It doesn’t have to be only about business.
Use those Hashtags!!
You can use hashtags on Facebook, but I wouldn’t recommend more than three or so. It’s not really the platform to use it on. When people use hashtags on Facebook, it’s more of a context use or people being funny.
However, you need to be using hashtags on Instagram. This is how your posts get seen and other accounts find you. When using hashtags there are a few things you want to keep in mind.
Avoid the oversaturated hashtags. (These are the ones that are in the millions)
Avoid using the same hashtags over and over. Switch it up.
Follow the hashtags that connect you with your audience. Make sure to interact with the profiles you come across.
Make Your Own Mark
Remember when I said people like to see your personal side? There are many other people doing the same exact thing you are doing. Why should people come to you? What sets you apart from the many others in your field.
You should still have some professionalism, but don’t be afraid to let your personality shine through. This is YOUR business. Make it your own.
Final Words
There is so much more to share, but this is just the very beginning. If you would like to work together to build your own presence on social media, find which hashtags to use, work on your content, and more, make sure to book your consultation call with me!
Now get out there and get seen!
