In a world where (according to an Adweek study), over 90 percent of businesses say social media is crucial to their overall marketing strategies, solopreneurs arguably have the most to gain and lose via social networks. But savvy solopreneurs understand how to use platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to spread the word about their businesses. The following checklist is a guide for solopreneurs looking to pinpoint their social strategy and use their time on these platforms wisely, to build their investment in their business. When in doubt, you can pick your primary channel by answering one simple question: "Where are my clients and customers hanging out?" Focus on a primary channel while using a social automation solution to help push content and maintain a presence on secondary channels For example, apps such as Buffer and Sprout Social allow solopreneurs to curate and queue content to their social network of choice without lifting a finger. There are seemingly endless opportunities to connect with new clients, win over customers and share your business's content all at once. Likewise, sites such as LinkedIn put you on the same level as CEOs and industry bigwigs. Some smart yet simple positioning strategies on social media include: Thoughtfully responding to questions and comments on industry-related Facebook or LinkedIn groups Republishing your own content to the various social channels, including LinkedIn's own publishing platform Regularly commenting on the updates of major players in your industry, showing that you've got the chops to be a bigger player yourself Any combination of these strategies not only puts your name out there, but also publicly displays your commitment to your industry. Especially if you're a new solopreneur, social media represents a great place to curate social proof on behalf of your business. If so, you can use such social proof as a way to seal the deal with future clients and customers.
In a world where (according to an Adweek study), over 90 percent of businesses say social media is crucial to their overall marketing strategies, solopreneurs arguably have the most to gain and lose via social networks.
Sure, those platforms often have a reputation for being total time-sinks or wastelands of marketing ROI. But savvy solopreneurs understand how to use platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to spread the word about their businesses. In many cases, these same solopreneurs are growing those businesses and bottom lines without spending a dime.
But, when you’re using social media to pursue networking opportunities or seal the deal with new customers, how do you know whether you’re using your time wisely or merely spinning your wheels?
Fear not. The following checklist is a guide for solopreneurs looking to pinpoint their social strategy and use their time on these platforms wisely, to build their investment in their business.
1. Pick a primary channel.
Simply put, you need to decide on a single social channel that’s going to command most of your attention. That’s not to say you can’t focus on both Facebook and Instagram, for example, but trying to be in multiple places at once will inevitably burn you out.
For many solopreneurs in the B2B space, Facebook is the number one channel to focus your efforts. There’s a good chance that your clients and customers are already connected to the platform in some way, shape or form, especially considering that users spend an average of 50 minutes on Facebook per day.
Niche businesses, however, are booming on Instagram, especially those within B2C industries such as fashion and beauty. Growing and monetizing Instagram followers is arguably easier than ever; meanwhile, Instagram has one of the highest average order values via ecommerce, at $65 per order.
When in doubt, you can pick your primary channel by answering one simple question: “Where are my clients and customers hanging out?” If there’s a clear answer, then you know where to start.
2. Don’t spread yourself too thin.
Despite popular belief, you don’t need to be active on each and every social site. In fact, there are no “must-have” networks for solopreneurs, truth be told.
But, think about it: There’s absolutely no way you can effectively manage a presence simultaneously on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and LinkedIn by yourself….
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