Social Media. It’s Not a Choice.

The topic of social media and its necessity continues to be an ongoing conversation, both online and in every day chatter. Parents are constantly monitoring their adolescent children’s online activities while working diligently to keep up with new application developments, updated features, and Snapchat stories. Businesses are spending millions of dollars daily, hoping to maintain consumer attraction throughout the mainstream social media platforms.

Many brands utilize social media as their primary source of marketing. Print advertising and radio placements have become excruciatingly expensive while being less effective and more difficult to track the results in terms of consumer reach. Let’s face it. Social media is here to stay. As companies and brands decide on ways to market themselves, the conversation shouldn’t be whether or not “to” social media, but “how to” social media. It’s supposed to be fun and listed below are a few ideas and tricks of the trade we’ve learned along the way to enhance your social experience; both for you and your target consumer. You ready?

1. Not too much, but just enough.

Your social media presence is like your favorite cologne or perfume. Too much of it can be annoyingly overbearing, but the right amount can attract just about anyone. Until you’ve developed a constant following, take your time. Quality is much more effective than quantity in the social media world, friends.

2. It’s not about YOU, but be YOU.

Look, we know you love your brand. We know you’ve spent countless hours perfecting your mission statement and color-coding your logo to coincide with the fung shui of your business. We get it. Unfortunately, most consumers don’t care. They want your social media to appeal to them. Make sure it does. With that said, you must be yourself. It’s a fine line because authenticity is imperative. Your brand image needs to focus on your audience while showcasing your lifestyle. Get it? Good!

3. Don’t force it, friends.

Sometimes, you don’t have the proper photo, message, or idea to present. That’s okay. Don’t force it. It’ll come. If you’re doing it correctly, you have a planned schedule of your posts anyway. With that said, take your time. Nothing is worse than seeing a brand “force post” something non-cohesive with their brand, image, and voice. DON’T DO IT!

4. Just try it. Don’t be scared. 

So many companies and brands we meet are afraid to step into the social media world. They don’t know where to start; Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc. They don’t know what to say. They don’t know if it’s effective.

Our response is pretty simple. We know social media is one of the (if not THE) most cost effective form of marketing. We know more than 60% of consumers have admitted social media influences their purchases. We consider that pretty effective.

5, Have fun people. It’s social media; not rocket science.

It’s not that serious, friends. It’s social media. Enjoy it. If you’re having fun, your audience will recognize it and engage with your brand more.

Disclaimer – Rocket science is probably pretty fun stuff.

Be social, friends.