Social Media is too Overwhelming, Why Bother?

We live in an era of great technological change, and businesses all over the globe are facing the challenge of adapting. According to Sprout Social, 78% of consumers are willing to buy from a business they had a good experience with on social media. The same report found that a massive 80% of business executives found it crucial to invest more money into social media marketing. Social media enables businesses to be more social (as the name implies). Creating a good relationship with customers fosters trust. Trust in your business leads to trust in your product or service.

Unfortunately, simply knowing the statistics doesn’t make running a social media account easier, especially for small businesses that have little time or resources. Key things that will help you overcome the overwhelm are utilizing tools on different social media platforms, planning, and keeping a running list of ideas.

Most social media platforms have tools for businesses and creators to make their experience easier and have a more professional appearance on their pages. One star example of this is Facebook. Facebook is the most popular social media site in the world and has 2.99 active users every month according to their 2023 Q1 report. That’s nearly 3 out of every 8 people on the planet! Facebook has a tool called Meta Business Suite that allows you to schedule posts ahead of time, easily reply to comments, run ads, and much more. It can also be connected to an Instagram business profile. These tools can make your experience much easier and are huge timesavers. Be sure to research each social media platform you choose to use and take advantage of any help they provide. There are also other third-party websites and apps that can help you manage social media accounts.

Planning ahead is essential when running a social media account. Every significant event for your business, be it a sale or a grand opening, should have a campaign. Be sure to have posts that build up to the event, posts while it is going on, and posts sharing how it went. Creating a simple marketing plan and knowing ahead of time when you want to post will help you stay on top of things. Use tools, as discussed in the previous paragraph, to schedule them ahead of time.

Just as you should come up with a schedule for promotions, you should also schedule regular content to keep in contact with your customers. It can be difficult to come up with social media posts on the fly. Keep a running list of different post ideas to use when you are going through content dry spells. These can be posts such as employee highlights, sharing about your products, flashback posts, joke-of-the-day, or posts that encourage interactions. Keeping in mind your business’ voice, try posting a meme or some encouragement. Customers want to attain value from your content, so it’s important to post more than just ads.

Social media overwhelm is real for business owners, but don’t let it bog you down! The relationships social media platforms can foster with your customer base are invaluable. Utilize tools, plan ahead, and keep a list of ideas so you feel in control of your social platforms.