Best Social Media for Small Business: How to Find Balance When You’re Overwhelmed Online

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by social media? It can feel like there are so many decisions that must be made. They ALL seem urgent. (Spoiler: They aren’t.)

 

 

You have probably heard a lot of things about social media. You may have thought:

•   I need to be on ALL the social media platforms.

•   To stay relevant, I need to be on the newest, most popular platforms. 

•   I don’t have content for social media.

•   I need to have the right hashtags and use as many as I can.

•   When my audience engages, I have to respond immediately.

 

Luckily, they are all FALSE. Simply reading those myths can be overwhelming!

 

Even though social media evolves a rapid pace, as HubSpot says “it's important to identify myth from reality in order to create an effective social media strategy” (Wainwright, 2021). 

 

Before we debunk a few of those myths,

let’s start at the very beginning… 

Maria (aka Julie Andrews) says it’s a very good place to start. 

 

 

What is Social Media?

 

Social media was created to “facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas and other forms of expression via virtual communities and networks” (Quesenberry, 2021, p 8).

 

Let’s break that down a little-

Social media consists of platforms where people and companies can share and connect in online communities. 

 

Now we all know the big names: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. You may have heard of new platforms like TikTok or Clubhouse (If you haven’t, don’t worry, it’s ok!) But any platform that allows users to interact, share, and connect is a social media platform. Influencer Marketing Hub shared over 100 different social media sites including the big names and specialized sites like Yelp and Goodreads as well as lesser-known platforms such as Untapped (for beer drinkers) and Peanut (for mothers and prospective mothers) (2021). 

 

Neil Patel shares the Conversation Prism in a post about social media that shows the variety of platforms available:

(Patel, n.d.)

Wow! Now, that can be overwhelming, but remember you don’t need to be on every social media platform. In fact, it’s better if you aren’t. 

 

So where should you be? 

 

It all comes back to your WHY. 

 

Starting on social media without a strategy will lead to continued overwhelm and poor results. It is necessary for you to think about your WHY, your business goals, and your audience. 

Here’s an example:

 

STICK ON ME is a small business that sells stickers of various sizes for artists. The company knows it has the resources to commit to two to three platforms at this time. How do they choose?

 

When thinking about what social media to join, STICK ON ME needs to keep it’s goals in mind as well as the strengths of each platform.

 

The marketing goals for the company include: 

    - brand awareness 

    - acquire new customers 

    - launch a new batch of artist’s stickers 

    - connect with more artists

 

STICK ON ME does a little research and learns the basics for some of the top platforms.

 

Platform	Type of Post	Strengths
Twitter	Usually text up to 280 characters, some images	•   Brevity is KEY.  •   More like a huge common room than a marketplace
Facebook	Longer posts allowed possibly followed by images and videos	•     Great for group communication and building relationships •     Great for Q&As, Polls •     Largest Social Media Site = huge audience
Instagram	Visually Based: Images and Video.  Slice of life and Behind the Scenes are common in Stories	•   Owned by Facebook  •   Mostly app-based and great on mobile devices •   Younger demographic
Pinterest	Virtual Bulletin Board	•     Sharing with Planners •     Meeting consumers early in their customer journey
LinkedIn	Professional, business network	•   Professional connections •   Business-to-business (B2B) connections
TikTok	Short form videos	•   Growing Platform •   Younger Audience •   Creators’ Fund for video creators

 

Unless STICK ON ME is selling stickers for other businesses, LinkedIn can be ruled out. Due to the visual nature of the company, it should consider the more visual platforms like Instagram and TikTok. Though often overlooked, Pinterest would be a great platform for STICK ON ME to share product launches and show how its stickers can be used to consumers at the beginning of their customer journey. 

 

Suppose the company founder just learned about a new social media platform that is taking off, “everyone is getting on” and wants the company to be represented. The platform is called Clubhouse and it is purely auditory. Users can interact in small rooms or hear presentations in larger rooms. Thinking about STICK ON ME’s business and goals, Clubhouse would not be a good fit because the stickers are a visual medium that most people already understand. Instead, the company should consider Instagram or TikTok because of the visual nature of those platforms. 

STICK ON ME decides that it will focus on Instagram and Pinterest. It has the option to join other platforms in the future as its business goals change and grow. 

 

Comparison attacks authenticity.

Remember, we talked above about how social media was created to help users share and connect? Well, how do we connect with our audience? By being authentic.  

 

According to Sprout Social, "90% of consumers say authenticity is important when choosing the brands they like and support” (Jepson, 2019). Consumers want to connect with your business online and social media is a fantastic tool to find them where they already are. 

 

Other companies may be on multiple platforms, but don’t forget your WHY is different from theirs.

 

WHY do you want to be there? If you are only on a specific platform because you feel like you have to be there, then how can you provide an authentic experience for your audience?

 

 

Focus on being authentic in the space you occupy. There is no right or wrong answer, only your answer. Don’t forget it is ok to change and pivot when it makes sense for you and your business. 

 

Back to the example with STICK ON ME, the company wants to share its love of stickers with everyone! They want a more stickered world. If the company is sharing a pristine, neutral journal cover, maybe they include copy about how the journal is ready to get dressed up and ask its followers to pick the sticker design for the front cover. 

 

The Puzzle Analogy

 

I like to think of social media as part of the digital presence puzzle that I am building for myself or my company. There are thousands and thousands of pieces that might fit, but I can only focus on so many at one time. I don’t need all the pieces in place to start to enjoy the picture. I can enjoy the image created by the few that I have started with and add more when I’m ready to grow. 

Find a place to start and begin.

 

 

Ready to understand your digital presence? Visit my website to find a package that is right for you.

 

References

Influencer Marketing Hub. (2021, January 27). 101+ Social Media Sites You Need to Know in 2021. Influencer Marketing Hub. https://influencermarketinghub.com/social-media-sites/.

 

Jepson, O. (2019 August 28). How to deliver brand authenticity & create connection on social (with free download). Sprout Social. https://sproutsocial.com/insights/brand-authenticity/.

Mellow Greatings, Ukie-Dukie. (2018). Sound of Music references in Spies are Forever. Tumblr. https://jaynaneeya.tumblr.com/post/165499925177/sound-of-music-references-in-spies-are-forever.

Patel, N. (n.d.). Social Media Marketing Made Simple: A Step-by-Step Guide. Neil Patel. https://neilpatel.com/what-is-social-media-marketing/.

 

Quesenberry, K (2021). Social Media Strategy: Marketing, Advertising, and Public Relations in the Consumer Revolution. Rowman & Littlefield, Lanham, MD.

 

Wainwright, C. (2021 February 18). 19 Social Media Marketing Myths to Leave Behind in 2021. HubSpot. https://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/33734/20-common-social-media-marketing-myths-busted.aspx.