When it comes to running a business in 2021, social media is a must. Whether your customers are hanging out on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn, there’s no avoiding it. One of the trickiest things, however, is getting a handle on your social media organisation. As we all know, there’s a difference between saying you’ll do it, and actually doing it!
Something clients regularly raise with me is finding it difficult to actually get started. They know what they should be doing in theory, but putting it into practice proves difficult. Luckily, there are some steps you can take to gain control over your platforms and make them work for you!
Scheduled Social Media Content
First things first – let’s talk about scheduling. It will totally change your social media organisation. And, with that, it’ll change your entire relationship with social media.
Many people think that to be “doing social media right”, you have to do it in the moment. Not only is that simply not true, but it’s entirely unrealistic when you’re running a business! You have enough to juggle in a day without having to constantly come up with new content in the moment. That’s where scheduling apps, like Buffer, SocialBee and even built-in schedulers, like Facebook Creator Studio and Tweetdeck, come in.
Take the daily pressure out of social media. You can schedule your content weeks ahead if you like! While I wouldn’t suggest doing it for more than a month from a relevance point of view, scheduling a couple of weeks or so at a time is a great move.
This way, you know that even if you have a busy week, your platforms won’t be neglected. No more Friday night realisations that your feed has sat empty for days!
Spontaneous Social Media Content
Got that scheduled content created? Perfect! Now spontaneous content can be fun again! Rather than a daily burden, creating a spur of the moment instagram story or tweet can happen when it’s right.
At an event or conference? Received a delivery of new products? Just finished up work on an exciting client project? These are all moments to celebrate and document. These posts help your audience feel closer to you, and build more of a connection.
Some weeks you’ll have lots to say off the cuff, and others you won’t. But as long as your scheduled content ticks over, you remain in control. Your social media organisation needs to be just that – organised and carefully prepared. The spontaneity can come in when that’s under control!
Evergreen Content
Another question I get a lot is “can I reuse the same post multiple times”. The answer to that is yes – but only under the right circumstances.
Firstly, you don’t want to reuse the same content several times in quick succession. Not only does that look lazy, but it can actually also look like there’s a glitch on your account! So ensure that over the course of a month, you’re not reusing the same post.
That said, you will of course have some content that is “evergreen”, and suitable for reuse in the future. This type of content doesn’t date and remains relevant longterm. These could be blog posts, product or service spotlights or “about us” posts.
Be sure to go in every now and then and update the image, just to keep things looking fresh – but otherwise, yes. This content can be reused, and doing that where appropriate can be a big help in terms of social media organisation.
Content Categories
One of the biggest concerns for people when managing their social media is coming up with content. A handy way of managing that is to come up with three or four core content categories for your posts.
Start by breaking your business down into a number of key topics. If you’re a vegan beauty brand, for example, your core categories might be Vegan/Eco Friendly news, Makeup Tips/Tutorials and Product Spotlights. These categories focus in on what your audience is on the lookout for.
Within each category, you can break that down further. Product Spotlights could include customer reviews and sneak peeks at upcoming releases, in addition to your standard product posts. Once you have your categories defined, it’s time to create a content calendar for your scheduling. You’ll find it so much easier to get to work on your social media organisation when you know exactly what you need to talk about.
Check out this post for my top tips on creating a content plan for your social media!
Content Creation Apps and Software
Another common stumbling block I hear of people facing is the fear that their posts won’t look good enough. The desire for perfectionism is strong! Now, don’t get me wrong – putting out professional, branded content is key. But if you wait until you are 1000% happy with a piece of content to share it, you’ll probably be waiting forever!
A way to address this worry is to use content creation apps and software. A site like Canva can be an absolute game changer when it comes to your social media organisation. Here, you can create a professional looking template for each of your content categories. Then, it’s simply a case of switching up the text and images for each new post.
Not only will an app like this help you with consistency, by using the same fonts and colours across your templates, but it will improve your confidence. If you are entirely new to design and content creation, it’s natural to feel unsure. With Canva, or similar apps, that excuse is gone!
Outsource to a Professional
Here’s the thing. All of the previous tips will only help if you take action and go for it! When it comes down to it, social media is just like any other part of your business – it only works if you do.
For some business owners, getting started requires an extra bit of help. There is absolutely no shame in holding your hands up and saying “this isn’t working”. If you’ve read through the previous points on this list and feel confident, great! If not, and you’re still dragging your heels, it might be time to call in a professional.
Think of how expertly you work on what you’re trained in. That’s what a seasoned social media professional can do for your platforms! While ultimately, your goal can be to run things yourself, bringing in a consultant for a couple of months can make a huge difference. They can create and kickstart a strategy for you to learn from and follow on with.
Social media organisation isn’t something to work on half heartedly. So if easing yourself into it with a bit of help will give you the motivation to stop planning and start doing, then go for it.
Not sure who to call? Check out my list of 12 marketing and design job definitions to point you in the right direction!
FURTHER READING
If you are interested in reading more about this topic, have a look at these:
4 Types of Social Media Content You Should Focus on
Content Marketing Ideas – A Brainstorming Tool for Small Businesses
Social Media Timing – An Alternative Guide for Small Businesses
Why You Should Focus on Your Social Media Engagement
