Social media check-up for your business
What exactly had happened? I had been so inspired, so committed, so diligent! An active social media user, a devotee to producing beautiful content and engaging with my audience. I suppose the romance wore off, or I burnt myself out? Over time my enthusiasm lessened, my focus shifted elsewhere and I realised I was simply taking social media for granted. Accounts that once received daily attention were now gathering virtual dust. I had fallen out of love with my businesses social media accounts.
When was the last time you gave your social media accounts a check up? Are you guilty of a set and forget approach too? I couldn’t remember when I had last fine tuned each platform. Yet these platforms had grown my email list, brought me numerous clients, made most of my sales and offered up unexpected opportunities like collaborations and speaking events. All rather good reasons to reengage with the online corners of my business. The only thing for it was to make myself a to do list and make it a priority.
Whatever your platform/s of choice, use these steps to service your online presence and refresh your virtual image. My online business presence consists of a website with a shop and blog, a Facebook page and Instagram feed. I generally access these from my phone or tablet, however I find a tune up is best achieved with a laptop, a cuppa, notepaper and pen.
1. Update
Whatever platforms you use and whatever your device of choice, ensure your software is updated to the latest version so you aren’t missing out on any functionality or resolved glitches.
2. Compare
Open all your sites in tabs and compare them. Are the aesthetics consistent across each site? Are they speaking the same visual language? Is your branding strong? Make note - what do you like, what do you want to change?
3. Delete
Be ruthless and give your sites a good pruning. Old sales posts on IG, images that don’t fit in with your look, items that flopped. Delete, delete, delete. Give new customers the very best impression by letting go of anything you wouldn’t happily repost.
4. Refresh
An updated bio, a new head shot, seasonal banners, there are lots of simple ways to refresh your social media feeds to reengage interest and generate more clicks. Perhaps a new blog theme or some professional product shots will get you excited about spending time in your online spaces.
5. Check links
Click around on each site and check for broken or outdated links. Ask a friend to send you a message on your Contact form. Test your mailing list sign up forms.
6. Research
Take a look at your competition, are they doing anything new or interesting? Choose a few of your current customers and see what hashtags they are using. Use google to check the top hashtags in your niche. Fall down the rabbit hole and make note of new hashtags to trial.
7. Plan
Create a realistic plan going forward so as to keep the cobwebs at bay. One Instagram post a day shared to Facebook? One blog post a week? Two newsletters a month? Then schedule days to create content to fulfil your plan. Batch photography, editing and writing, then schedule your posts.
8. Engage
Remember, it isn’t social media if you’re not being social! Engage with your audience. Like, follow, comment. Leave meaningful comments. Reply to direct messages in a timely way. I have found it to be true that the number of followers are not as important as the kind of followers you have. 100 genuinely engaged supporters of your business are more important than 1,000 luke-warm followers, or 10,000 purchased followers.
Christina Lowry is a designer and jeweller who makes fine jewellery for creatives. Her work is featured in several Australian galleries, as well as in her online store. Christina fell in love with jewellery making while studying a Bachelor of Fine Art/Visual Art. Each piece is lovingly made by hand in her Brisbane workshop, incorporating precious metals and gemstones, using traditional metalworking techniques.