How to Use Social Media for Your Business Without Getting Overwhelmed

Even if, like my husband, you refuse to use social media personally, you still know it exists. And you probably know it’s a valuable tool to use for your business.

You can use social platforms like Instagram, FaceBook, and Twitter to build your brand, connect with your ideal clients, and even make sales.

And guess what…

It’s FREE.

That’s right. You can use social media for your business at zero charge.

Social media is a great way to promote your business or your blog, to spread brand awareness, and to build a community of loyal followers.

Related: Is Blogging for Your Business Really Worth It?

But before you rush out and create all the profiles, keep one thing in mind…

Social media is a tool for your business, but it shouldn’t be your endgame. The point of building a following on any platform is to direct people to YOUR business.

Your goal on any social platform is to direct people back to your own territory. Your website. Your Etsy shop. Your direct sales page. Your email list.

If you keep that in mind, your social media strategy will be much more effective.

With all that said, let’s talk about how to use social media for your business without getting overwhelmed. Here are 5 tips for effective social media marketing without the stress.

1 | Choose the right platforms for your business.

It’s a big mistake to think you need to be on all the platforms in order to do social media marketing successfully.

The key is to find the platforms where your ideal clients or customers spend time.

If your customers aren’t on FaceBook, then it’s a waste of your time and energy to focus your attention there.

So how do you figure out where your target market is hanging out?

• Know your ideal customer. What’s their age range? Are they married or single? Do they have kids?
• Determine the goals of your social media strategy. Do you want to increase brand awareness? Generate more website traffic? Connect with influencers who can market your products?
• Check out the demographics and usage data from the most popular social platforms to see which ones align with both your goals and your target market.

2 | Use 1-2 platforms to start.

It’s really easy to assume that you need to be on every social media platform, but it’s also a big mistake.

The fastest way to feel overwhelmed by social media is to jump in headfirst on all the platforms, especially if you’re not already using them personally.

For one, it’s a lot of technical stuff to learn all at once. Even if you’re fairly savvy, there’s a different method for each platform.

Also, you’ll need to produce more content. There’s no incentive for someone to follow you on both FaceBook and Instagram if they get the same content in both places.

Instead, choose one or two social media platforms and focus your efforts on developing competency and building your following.

3 | Post valuable, quality content on a consistent basis.

To build a social media following, you need to post content that’s valuable to your audience.

Quality content should fall under one or more of these categories:

• Inspiring
• Interesting
• Entertaining
• Educational

Consistency is one of the most important elements in building an engaged social media following. Seeing valuable content on a regular basis keeps people interested and opens the door for building community.

It might sound intimidating to post on a consistent basis, but there are two things to remember. First, you’re only creating content for 1-2 platforms (see my last point) and second, YOU determine how frequently you post.

It gets much more challenging to post consistently when you have to create content for multiple platforms. This is why I suggest starting with one or two and building up when you feel the need and the confidence to do so.

Remember that consistent posting doesn’t mean you have to put up new content 3 times a day. You figure out how frequently you want to post, and you stick to that schedule.

I like to shoot for 1 post per day around 5 days per week. Don’t feel pressured to adhere to an unrealistic schedule simply because that’s what you see others doing.

Do what works for you or it will quickly become a source of stress.

The Bottom Line

The point of social media is to be social. When you use social media for your business, don’t forget that you build community by engaging with your audience.

Start slowly and make social media marketing work for you!

What tips do you have for avoiding social media overwhelm? Share any that you’ve found helpful in the comments!