Photo by kasei.co.uk
Everything you need to know about about social media you learned in elementary school…
What I mean is, that you hold the keys to figuring out how to utilize social media. Its just a matter of answering the 6 main questions that you learned in composition class in elementary school.
I’m talking about who, what, when, where, why, and how.
WHO
Think about it, social media and the branches therein (social networks, ie facebook, LinkedIn, ECT.) are about WHO- figure out who you want to reach.
If you are into the indie music scene, or a tour manager looking for enthusiasts, think about different sites that draw in that particular crowd. Figure out where your audiences hang out! Keep in mind that this could be in several locations.
WHAT
The next phase is looking into WHAT you want to talk about, promote, or network. This does require focus and direction, but you’ve probably done that already for your marketing strategy. So, take what you already know and put it into practice online!
Perhaps you are working with local youth in a small town and know that they are YouTube and Facebook lovers. Join the networks! Meet the audience (your youth) where they are by creating your own YouTube channel. On there is where you can post what you’re wanting to share. It doesn’t have to be long or eloquent. Just give them a heads up on WHAT you want to share!
WHEN
Ok, so you’ve jumped on these sites and groups… you still have a lingering question:Â WHEN do you know to contribute or update? That’s tough.
Since you know WHAT you want to say, you just need to figure out how often (WHEN) you want to say it, so you take a peek at the options.
- Twitter: this is a constant LIVING stream. You have people on Twitter by phone, from third party applications and more. So you need to be precise and to the point. You want people to follow you, not block you! Before going update crazy, how about observing what others do? Follow people in your industry, or talk with people that are avid users. Having ‘tweets‘ throughout the day is a great way to interact with your audience.
-Â Facebook: When it comes to status updates, some suggest no more than once, max- twice a day. People can take you off their news feed, and if your constantly updating, it gets to be a little much. With that being said, time your posts and photo updates too, this can show people that you are an active user, not just coming on when you need to promote a brand new item.
Next up…Â WHERE do I do all of these things?
WHERE
Between status updates, photo album creation, following and friending, it’s hard to keep it all striaght. To maintain everything, it’s good to take a peek at some tool options. You can have someone set up a tool like Tweetdeck. There you can update Facebook and Twitter from one location!
WHY
Now you probably want to know WHY you would go to all this trouble to jump into the unknown social media world. I can honestly say, that is a fair and logical question.
My response:
It’s about learning what you are looking for and what you need- and connecting with the right people.
Not enough for you?
That’s alright, here’s a list of several reasons WHY you should be involved with social media:
- brand control
- customer awareness
- promotion
- ‘free’ marketing
- you can find potential clients
- show transparency
- see the competition
- there are so many more…
HOW
Now you’re thinking HOW am I going to even start? Â
Well, that’s the easy part. First you just need to figure out which one you want to try. From there, it’s all about learning the ropes. Fortunately, there are many ‘how-to’ videos for Facebook page set-ups and more. Honestly, I use these and see nothing wrong with asking for help!
Dive in, it’s fun! Don’t be overwhelmed, we where all there at some point. Don’t be afraid to ask questions along the way.
Kristina is based in the Twin Cities and eats and breathes social media. Her love for technology’s influence on culture can be found here.
Tags: Facebook, how-to, right way, social networks, Twitter
Nice post Kristina! For some reason, it seems to hit home