DIY Social Media: Top 5!
Well, 2021 isn’t letting up much is it! And there was us thinking the drama of 2020 was behind us.
For small businesses, 2020 was gruelling, ever-changing and, there’s that word, ‘unprecedented’. We’ve had to adapt at a moment’s notice, diversify where possible, help each other out more than usual and, generally, grin and bear it. It’s been, and continues to be, tough.
For those that are soldiering on, taking a hold of their social media with more gravitas/emphasis than ever before, I’d like to send some tips your way. Some tools and principles I personally use with my clients.
Get organised
Posting on the go will only work for so long; you’ll lose interest, content ideas, and feel stressed every time you remember you need to post. Don’t get me wrong, ad hoc posts are great for in-the-moment, behind-the-scenes, check-ins, and moments of genius that hit you unawares, keep it up, it’s brilliant! But, if you want to ensure your social media profiles are consistent, informative, helpful, and cover all aspects, planning, then scheduling is crucial.
By using a scheduler to post in advance, on multiple platforms, you can consult your diary, seek out and create the best content with great imagery, and make sure your output is relevant to your business goals and objectives. More importantly for your well-being, you can do so without panicking and feeling rushed!
The scheduler I use:
Buffer - It can be free to use for up to 3 social media platforms!
Google Slides
I’m not sure what I did before Google Docs, it was definitely a game-changer a year or two into Flossy Notes!
The idea is that multiple people can work on a document, whether that’s a Google Doc, Google Sheet, Google Slide, or Google Form, with real-time edits; you can see edits and amendments as they happen. This means it’s great for team synchronicity. There’s no to-ing and fro-ing of emails with edited versions.
So how can this help your social media efforts? By creating a social media timetable/schedule/planner - whatever you want to call it - everyone will be able to see what you have lined up for the coming weeks. Everyone can add to it and get involved.
The columns I’d suggest are:
Date
Diary
Blog
Facebook
Instagram
Insta/Facebook Stories
Twitter
LinkedIn Company Page
LinkedIn Personal
Notes
You can add in as many or as few platforms you use and I’d also highly recommend 2 small columns alongside each platform that indicate whether the post had been scheduled, and then published.
Little crosses in these work nicely!
LinkTree
You’re working on your Instagram bio and realise you’re only allowed to post one link, very annoying. What LinkTree does is directs your audience to a page whereby all your chosen links are in one place. They can then choose which direction they want to go in. Oh, and it’s free.
Tagging that Hash #
Platforms vary, and personal preference plays a part in your use of hashtags. What you quite often see is a profile that either loves them or hates them; they’ll use loads of none at all. What’s generally best practise is to place yourself somewhere in the middle.
Twitter is the birthplace of the hashtag, yet Instagram is where you can use up to 30 in one post!
Opinions differ, but personally, my hashtag methodology is as follows:
Facebook and Twitter
These platforms for me are similar with regards to your hashtag usage.
Use only one, two or maximum three. Within these, I’d always include your personal hashtag, (business name/slogan/nickname), your geographical location, and/or your topic of post. For example, if I were to post about a virtual networking event I’d attended, I might use: #FlossyNotes #Bude #VirtualNetworking
You can use up to 30 hashtags, but that doesn’t mean you have to. Personally, I don’t like to see a post inundated with random, relentless hashtags, I think it seems too ‘salesy’. But, the more you use, the more touchpoints you’ll have with potential customers/followers/clients etc.
If you’re fine with using 30 within your caption then go for it! If you don’t like the look of it so much, you can always choose your favourites, then put the rest in a comment below. It’s up to you.
But which #’s should I use to reach my target audience?
Instagram is your search engine here guys, search for your topic with a hashtag and it’ll come up with all those that are relevant. Best practice is to have a mix of small, medium, and large hashtags. And that looks a little something like this…
Post Topic: Handbags
Your ‘small’ hashtags are your niche ones:
#YourBrandNameHere
#GetYourClutchOn
#SatchelSass
Your ‘medium’ hashtags are your more common categories:
#ClutchBags
#HandbagHeaven
#HandbagsAreAGirlsBestFriend
Your ‘large’ hashtags are your generic pointers:
#instahandbag
#accessories
#womensfashion
P.s. Whether you use capital letters to break up your words or not is entirely up to you, you won’t win search points for one over the other. But do get your spellings right!
So, those are some all-rounder tips for you, I hope you can implement these into your DIY strategies now and feel safe in the knowledge you’re doing a great job! We’re all in the same small business boat at the moment so let’s lend a hand where we can, support one another, and give credit where credit is due!
Stay safe everyone, take care!
