Often on social media, we hear that "consistency is key", and that is indeed true. However, there is one issue: most people confuse consistency with frequency, and they are not the same. Being consistent and being frequent are very different things. Before we get into the next blog in our series Back To Basics: Socials, we are going to start on the right foot by dispelling the rumor that you have to be frequent to be consistent, and that consistency is always achievable. It's not. Life happens when you are a small business owner. In an ideal world, you would be able to do everything in perfect sync and harmony. However, we do not live in a perfect world, and perfection in anything is unattainable and a harmful expectation to put on people. Sometimes people burn out, sometimes they lose their passion, sometimes they have life situations that prevent them from focusing on their small business and social presence, and you know what? It's okay. There may come a time when you, as a small business owner, take a short, long, intentional, or unintentional break from your socials for whatever reason. There is also a high likelihood you will eventually want to return to posting, sharing, and connecting with your audience. And that may seem daunting, but doesn't have to be. With a little bit of planning and effort, you can get right back on track. In this blog, we are going to discuss pathways to get back at it. How do you rebuild your engagement and your audience's trust? How do you motivate yourself and continue to stay motivated? You'll find the topics we are going to cover broken down into the sections listed below. Welcome To Back To Basics: Ghosting On Your Posting.
How Do You Motivate Yourself To Come Back And Stay Motivated?
How Do You Get Back On Track?
How Do You Rebuild Your Engagement And Audience Trust?
Allow us to start by stating there are a variety of reasons why you, as a small business owner, may have taken a break from using your social media for your small business, or may be considering taking a break. Some of the most common reasons include:
Holidays, Weddings, Vacations and Special Occasions
Maternity Leave, Bereavement Leave, and Paternity Leave
Burn Out, Physical & Mental Health Concerns
An Overwhelming Workload or Ongoing Projects
Digital Detoxes
Just Needing A Break
What do all of these have in common? All of them are valid and require zero apologies. If you have taken a break or are contemplating one, your reasons for doing so are valid and not up for critique. In the noise of social media, you may have heard that you need to show up no matter what to be successful. That is simply not true. There has not, and never has been, glory in grinding on when you are ground down. Period. Your reasons for taking a break, and its duration, are at your discretion. This blog post is simply a roadmap for if and when you decide you are ready to come back. If that day never comes, know you didn't fail; your priorities have changed. Those are two very different things.
How Do You Motivate Yourself To Come Back And Stay Motivated?
So you are thinking about returning to social media? Awesome, welcome back! How do you find the motivation and stay motivated to use social media? Here are some helpful ways to get motivated and stay motivated.
The inspired need inspiring. Assess where your passions have been focused. Start following accounts, creators, and communities that align with your goals and vision going forward. Remember, inspiration is a two-way street – by seeking out sources of motivation and inspiration, you not only enrich your journey but also contribute to the collective pool of creativity and innovation in your chosen field. Connect with communities. Motivation is a shared experience, and you may find that by integrating yourself into a community, you find a renewed sense of purpose and, more importantly, a place for you and your small business.
Bid farewell and wish them well to the influencers, communities, and people who do not bring you joy and who do not motivate you. When you are the one who needs to do the social media for your business, you are the one who is consuming and engaging. You get to curate and tailor it to best fit your life, goals and small business.
Establish a set of criteria for determining which kinds accounts to follow and engage with. This could include factors such as relevance to your industry, authenticity, positivity, or alignment with your brand values. By adhering to these criteria, you can ensure that the content you consume on social media is meaningful and beneficial to you and your business.
By doing these activities, you will quickly rediscover your enthusiasm and motivation for participating on social media, and feel motivated to produce and create content for your small business that encourages interaction and engagement from others. You will then find yourself back to continuing to cultivate your audience and create community.
How Do You Get Back On Track?
So you are motivated and ready to start creating? Amazing! How do you get back on track? We have got you covered. Here are the steps you could take to start and maintain posting again.
Have A Plan For Going Forward - Benjamin Franklin once said, "By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail." We are not entirely convinced that's 100% the case, but there is some truth in this. Sit down and make a plan. Consider how often you want to post, and what posting timeline works for you. We suggest doing it once a week. Then, when you feel more comfortable and if it works for you, do more. Similarly, if it is not working, do less. Remember, you are in control. Plan out a reasonable timeline for your posting schedule. Believe it or not, there is no ''ideal'' amount of posting. You set the pace; for some businesses it's every day, for some it's every few days, for some it's once a week, and for some it's once a month. All of these are good if they work for you. Remember we discussed earlier that frequency isn't consistency. If you consistently post once a month according to a set schedule, your audience will recognize this pattern, which demonstrates consistency.
Create A Return Post/Piece Of Content - You have the freedom to disclose as much or as little about the cause of your absence as you wish. It is up to you to determine the level of personal detail you want to include. Whatever you opt for, ensure that it is done sincerely and with consideration for both yourself and your audience. If your goals and business directive have changed, be transparent. For instance, if you were a sewer that made handmade clothing but have decided your passion now lies in creating a line vegan sauces, just say so. You will find that much of your audience is just as happy to join you on that new journey as they were to travel along with you on your former passion/business journey. Some may not, but you can take confidence in knowing you operated with transparency. Start fresh from that post, and go forward. The past is in the past, and it's time to chart a new course. Once your are back on your feet and confident with socials, you can resume taking on more difficult content and continue to work on growing your audience.
Create Content You Love, Not What You Need - We know this sounds bad. It is not. Start by creating content you enjoy doing. Every small business owner will tell you there is a medium of content they like best. For some, it's reels. Others like to do storytelling posts. And some prefer stories. For the first little bit, stick to the kinds of content that bring you joy to make. Do not jump into the content mediums that stress you out, require a lot of effort, and overwhelm you. That is a faster way to lose your motivation and get off track.
Avoid Obsessing Over Your Followers - It is important not to fixate on monitoring your followers. It is possible that you have lost some followers and may continue to lose more. Many of us tend to focus too much on the number of followers we have on social media. While followers are important, their significance may not be as great as we tend to believe. It's an unhealthy practice to focus on the followers. Also, we need to recognize that, just like you needed a break, your followers may also need a break from socials, and may have deleted or unfollowed accounts, including yours. Avoid allowing the number of followers to occupy a significant portion of your thoughts. Instead, allocate that mental space for more valuable pursuits. Focus on brainstorming innovative ideas for your products and services, engaging with new audiences and communities, and nurturing creativity.
How Do You Rebuild Your Engagement And Audience Trust?
Now you are back up and running again with social media and content for your business. You feel confident and good about being in the social media space. You want to start growing again. We get that; your absence may have drastically decreased your engagement. We got you again. Here are some ways you can boost your engagement. Note: These are recommendations we would specifically suggest for small businesses, though they may also apply to influencers and communities. At the end of the day, we need to get you back to selling products and services. So there does need to be an air of professionalism. Engaging and interactive content will help rebuild trust with your audience.
Host A Giveaway - No social media strategy is guaranteed - that is, except for giveaways. Offering free stuff and asking people to interact with you in exchange it (e.g. by answering a question in a comment) is one of the simplest and most effective ways to boost your engagement. This type of engagement post is most common on Instagram & Facebook.
Hold A Caption Contest - A caption contest is a type of contest or giveaway that requires the user to be a little creative. It’s not just about liking a post or tagging a friend; entrants need to put some thought into their answers. Caption contests are most successful with dynamic & engaging photos.
Host A Poll - Who can say no to a poll? Participating in polls on social media is incredibly simple. Moreover, polls on Threads and Instagram offer an extra engagement element: participants are unable to view the results until they have cast their own vote, prompting them to interact in order to access the information.
Ask For Stitching/Duets - This particular type of interactive post works best on TikTok, as it allows you to prompt viewers to create duets or stitches with your content. Unlike a simple like or comment, this form of engagement requires a higher level of commitment, yet it frequently leads to more meaningful outcomes.
Ask For Advice - Seeking advice online may not always result in practical insights, but it does lead to a high level of interaction. The online community consists of individuals who are sincerely helpful, as well as those who are arrogant and enjoy showcasing their knowledge. This approach caters to both types of individuals.
Post Useful And Informative Content - Consider creating content that is helpful and informative if you aim to increase shares and saves on social media. When your audience can gain knowledge from your posts, they are more likely to share it or save it for later.
Share User-Generated Content (UGC) - Sharing content created by users demonstrates that it's not just you promoting your brand; your customers and followers are valuable resources for content (just remember to seek permission before reposting, if necessary). User-generated content can range from reposting a post by someone who mentioned your brand, to turning a favorable review into an Instagram post.
Reply To Comments - Want to know how to get your audience to engage with you? Engage with them. Consistently replying to comments establishes a mutual form of communication with your followers. They’ll be more likely to comment on your posts if they think you’ll reply.
You are back to using, creating, and sharing on social media. Congratulations! But if you decide not to come back, we understand and we will miss you. We wish you well in whatever mediums you choose to express yourself and share your small business. We have discussed how to motivate yourself and stay motivated on social media. We have helped to offer a roadmap for when you decide to come back to posting and sharing content. We have also provided ideas for boosting your engagement back up after your absence. Our next piece in our Back To Basics: Social Series is Content Creation Foundations. Here we offer a quick and to the point guide to master the content creation process. You can find it here: Back To Basics: Content Creation Foundations.
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More In The ONSBC Back To Basics Series
Instagram Basics: A Guide To Using Instagram
Facebook Basics: A Guide To Using Facebook For Business
Hashtags & Captions
The Five “W’s” In Media
Ghosting On Your Posting
Content Creation Foundations
Social Do’s & Do Not’s
Free Apps To Help You Add Value To Your Social Media, Content & Marketing
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