Are your social media posts crushing your business?
Strange question, right? How could posting on social media possibly be crushing your business, when every time you update your status, you’re making
When you scroll through your social media feeds, you’ve probably noticed that some of the updates aren’t very good. They use low-quality images, there are more than a few spelling mistakes, or you click on a video featuring an uninspiring presenter.
You know some of these businesses, and in spite of these lacklustre updates, you also know they’re very good at what they do. They've been encouraged to build and grow an audience on social media – so they’re valiantly doing everything they can to achieve just that.
But social media isn’t a magic marketing potion.
It can be easy to think that simply posting regularly is all you need to do in order to get attention. But have you thought about what those posts are actually telling casual observers about you and your business?
Case in point: the image I’ve used here, which I created myself on Canva in an attempt to post something a bit ‘different’ on social media.
I’m not a designer, and I’m not blessed with a designer’s creative eye – two things that are immediately apparent upon looking at that image!
I spent ages creating that picture (yes, I know), and though I wasn’t happy I posted it anyway, because, well…I had to post something that day, or people might have forgotten I exist.
I regretted it almost immediately. I’m a writer who prides myself on producing high quality, personalised content. Do you get that impression from my hastily-created Canva image? I certainly don’t, and it’s my business!
My advice? Stick with all the things you’re actually good at – if you want to branch out with something you’re not, ask someone who is to do it for you instead.
Are you doing your business a disservice with your social media updates? If you’re bravely using skills you don’t have to promote the ones you do have – then yes, you probably are.
Remember that more ‘Likes’ and views might make you feel good, but they don’t automatically mean more business. Unless people tell you exactly why they’ve clicked on your content, you won’t know – and it could be for many reasons other than wanting to do business with you.
Example: I’ve got a morbid fascination with badly written content, so I actively seek it out (maybe it’s just so I can reassure myself that I'm able to do better!) Unfortunately, the careless impression I have of businesses that use badly written content means I’m unlikely to work with them. I just want to revel in their badness over a nice coffee and a biscuit.
And so the moral of this story is: when it comes to social media - or anything else for that matter - stick with what you know you’re good at, and ignore or outsource the rest.
We’re approaching a brand new year! It’s a great time to create some inspirational content that showcases you and your business at their very best. If you’re short on time, or your way with words is on a par with my skills on Canva, then… well, you know where I am.
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