I’m a big believer that every business should run a full Social Media audit at least every 6 months or just before a big campaign and one of the things you should look at is how effective the various platforms are for you and cull the ones that don’t work.
Here’s why.
If you try to be all things to all people you’ll fail and the same goes with social media. If you try to be on every platform then you end up spreading yourself far too thin and it doesn’t work.
Not all social networks are right for all businesses. Accountants probably don’t want to be on Pinterest unless you fancy posting up pictures of tax forms but most fashion based businesses really do need to be there. Twitter and Facebook for most companies is a must and if you’re tech based then head over to Google+ (while it lasts!).
The key thing is to ask yourself; Where are my customers? And then join them.
If you’re not sure where they are then do a quick survey and ask them. Offer a prize to encourage answers, its worth it in the long run so you know exactly where you should be.
Save yourself some time
I always try to recommend that most small businesses only maintain four social media platforms. If you try to do more then you’ll either have a big team or you’ll be doing too much.
If you struggle updating many networks then cull the ones that don’t work as well and spend more time on the ones that do. Use this saved time to create separate content for your chosen platforms and spend a bit more time engaging with your followers.
Another great time saver is using the
Hootsuite software application that lets you manage all your social media in one place. You can even schedule posts into the future to save even more time. If you do schedule make sure you are around to reply and deal with enquiries.
Remember you can’t do it all so pick your platforms carefully, don’t work with too many of them and do a grand job with the ones you choose.
