Everyone knows they need to be on social media if they want to build a personal brand or grow their business. But not everyone knows just how to do it. In fact, a lot of people are pretty confused or overwhelmed by it, especially when it comes to knowing who they are talking to on social media! What’s the point of putting out great content if you’re not even sure who it’s for?
Hopefully, you already know who your target market/audience is. If not, figure that out now! This will help you find them, and help you communicate the messages they want to hear and create the content they will want to consumer. How do you figure it out? Start by thinking about your ideal customer. Who are you trying to help? What problem are you solving with your knowledge, product, and/or service? If you’re still not sure, look at your competitors. Who are they talking to? Chances are good that you want to talk to a similar audience.
Once you know your target market/audience, then you need to figure out where they are. The best content created for the right audience will not do you any good unless you share it in the right place(s)! Is your audience generally aged 50 and above? You probably need to be on Facebook. Is your audience 21 – 35? Then Instagram may be the best place for you. Are you selling to other businesses? Then you need to be on LinkedIn. You get the idea.
How do you find out where your audience is? Start by looking at the social media usage information compiled by Spredfast or Pew Research Center. They both offer tons of data and statistics on the audience/users of each of the major social media platforms. You also want to get on the different platforms and use them and see who is active on them. Finally, check out where your competition is focusing their efforts and where they are having the most success.
Have you figured out who you’re talking to now? Great! Now it’s time to decide on one or two platforms to focus on. As a personal brand, entrepreneur, or small business, you simply don’t have the time or resources to be active and consistent on multiple platforms. Pick one or two and do a great job on them.
Need some help figuring this out? Would you like to talk about marketing with other small business owners? Join my FB Group - Simplified Marketing for Small Business Owners!