One of your colleagues recently asked:
When I log onto social media I end up scrolling and wasting time. Do you have a schedule of how you can use it intentionally to move your business forward?
Social media can be a serious time suck. The average person spends 147 minutes per day on social platforms. (And if we’re being honest, I bet a lot of us spend quite a bit more than that!)
It’s easy to get distracted and waste time scrolling, even if your intention is to grow your business or attract new staff.
The key is to use social media intentionally. And I’ve found that having a checklist can help you stay focused and on track.
I’m going to share my 4-point LinkedIn checklist, and you can tailor it to your own schedule or platform of choice.
Fair warning – this checklist will seem like a lot of work. It is a lot of work, but once you get into the groove, it will feel like second nature.
1. Post Consistently
Gary Vee says you should create 100 pieces of content per day. Most of us don’t have nearly enough time for that. But that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be posting consistently.
Posting regularly keeps:
- Your audience engaged
- Your content visible on feeds
Video content is crucial. Why? Because it shows YOU. That means your face will be visible on feeds, making you even more memorable.
Action to Take
If you’re new to social media, aim to post 3x a week and make one of those posts a video.
Need help creating content for social media? Follow my 8-point checklist on how to craft the perfect social media post.
2. Expand Your Network Strategically
Posting content is just one part of your social media strategy. Use your time on social to expand your networking strategically.
Add new connections, and send them personalized messages.
Why?
When you reach out with a personal message, you lay the foundation for building a relationship.
WHO should you add? That depends on your goals. Who do you want to reach?
- Clients?
- Thought leaders?
- Staff?
There’s a good chance that the people you want to reach are on LinkedIn, but you need to know who to look for when making new connections. Decide who you want to connect with, and look for them.
Action to Take
Aim to add 20 new connections Monday-Friday along with a warm welcome message that:
- Asks a question
- Mentions something in their profile, or
- Starts a conversation about something they shared or posted
A lot of people overcomplicate this process, but the truth is, it doesn’t have to be complicated. For example, let’s say your niche is law firms.
I did a quick search for awards given to legal professionals and found this 40 under 40 award. If I was targeting lawyers, I’d message every single person on this list and congratulate them for being awarded 40 under 40.
3. Engage With Your Network
To succeed with social media, you have to be social. Engage with other people’s content. Start conversations. Ask questions. Get involved.
Engagement builds relationships. As a bonus, it will boost your visibility on that person’s network.
You also get a chance to demonstrate your authority and build credibility, especially if you engage with content that your audience is consuming.
Action to Take
Comment on ten posts Monday-Friday. Focus on content that’s relevant to your business and audience.
Don’t think you have time for ten comments? I bet you do. Just be intentional when you scroll. Rather than passing by content you like or enjoy, pause and leave a thoughtful comment.
4. Collaborate
“If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together,” is an African Proverb that resonates with me strongly. Collaborations benefit all parties on social media and allow you to:
- Expose yourself to new networks
- Add value to new audiences
Easier said than done? Not if you take the right actions.
Action to Take
Accountants (and you can adapt this to your industry) can collaborate with a lot of amazing professionals but some who are a great fit include business coaches, legal experts and payroll specialists.
Identify the individuals who you want to collab with and:
- Engage with their content before reaching out to them. Genuine engagement will help break the ice and allow you to be familiar with the person.
- Craft a thoughtful message to best explain how the collaboration will benefit them and their audience. In order words, you want to explain what you can do for them and their audience. You never want to make the message about yourself.
- Propose a clear idea for the collaboration. Perhaps you are asking the person to co-host a webinar with you or have you on as a podcast guest that you can share with your audiences.
How many collaborations you want to land is up to you, but I recommend trying to land at least one a month to start.
When you use social media intentionally, you’ll build your brand, increase your followers and boost your ROI in the process. Scrolling endlessly without posting and engaging wastes time without a reward.
But if you follow my checklist above, you can change that.
And, that’s a wrap on this Dear Katie question.
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Now I want to hear from you. Do you have a question?
Until next time, cheers to your success!
Katie
