5 Myths About Advertising Your Business On Social Media Organically
If you're tired of scrolling on Google to find all the good information about how to grow your business on social media, you can sit back, sigh in relief, and even grab a snack if you want and read through this. Here's 5 common myths about growing on social media as an entrepreneur. Debunking these myths will save you so much stress so you can have a great time connecting with your ideal clients/customers online! What I'm sharing will also help you if you ever decide to start paying for ads on social media to promote your business!
1. Just because you're friends with someone on Facebook or Instagram, you can send them your link whenever you want to:
It's annoying when someone comes into my inbox asking me to subscribe to their channel or to follow them back or to check out their video. Here's a simple checklist before dropping the link:
Did you ask the person you DM'd how they're doing first?
How do you know they're interested in your content?
Do you even know what they do and if your content aligns with their goals and desires?
If the answer is no, you can check out a person's page to see if they have a profession or title in their profile/bio. See if they also have their name in their profile/bio so you can address them by name, rather than a spammy, "Hey!" message. Look at their page and see what posts you can AUTHENTICALLY comment on or compliment them in a way that is friendly. People can tell if you're being fake so really reach down in your heart and try to start a genuine conversation with them. You can then ask them if they're working on any projects or have anything exciting coming up that they don't mind sharing. Then you can share what you're up to. Building authentic connection is ultimately the best way to grow your social media account for your business.
Here's what happens when you just send a link and ask them to subscribe or follow you back: People may do what you asked just to be NICE. They won't check out your videos, they won't engage with your posts, which causes your content to actually be seen less on social media. So you may have a bunch of followers or people subscribing, but they won't care about your content or buy your products/services. Which hurts your business. You want people who subscribe to your channel/follow you on social media to be excited for your content.
2. You have to look perfect:
All of the photos above were taken with an iPhone!
Expensive photoshoots and too many professional photos are hard to relate to for some followers if they can't afford it. It can also add to the pressure to "always look perfect." It's a waste of money if you're just starting out. Some general tips for taking good pictures is to have a phone with good camera quality and to take photos where you're facing natural light. See if there is a local photographer that is starting out themselves that you could barter services with. See if they can take practice shots of you. You can build up their portfolio and you can have nice photos for your feed if they have a good eye to fill up their frame. Request some samples to get a sense of their skill before committing. Also, posting a selfie here and there is okay. Throw on a nice outfit where you feel confident and say cheese! For tips on how to pose and take nice pictures, check out this video here.
Are you back? Okay.
Also, when there's violence happening in the world, acknowledge it. There's just something that doesn't feel right about seeing someone post about their products or a sale, without briefly talking about widespread injustices happening in the world and how it makes them feel. Black Lives Matter, Women's rights, victims of abuse- when something makes national news or hits close to home, it's okay to talk about it on social media. Chances are, your audience wants to hear a voice of reason to get them through what is currently happening in the world. Just imagine if business owners simply acted like business-as-usual during the pandemic and kept selling their programs, products, and services without seeing what support their audience could use first. They probably wouldn't have gotten much business. I'm not saying don't sell when bad things happen in the world, but be considerate of others and reframe how your products/services can help them during these tough times. We all can agree that violence of any kind is wrong, no matter what side you're on politically. So if we focus on that and look internally to see how things can get better, I think that's worth sharing.
3. People will remember what you do and understand every post you publish online.:
You would think that people who have been following you for awhile would know every single life update or the things you've accomplished in your business that you've expressed online, but that's not true. Only 3-6% of your audience sees your content. So you really need to try to reach more of your audience as much as possible! Also, some people just aren't tech savvy. There are still people who tell me they don't see a link in the bio on Instagram. So show people how to find the link in your bio. Show them how to get access to your best content. When you share a clip, tease what it's about. What's something shocking that happened in the video? What could you write for the caption that would make someone want to click on it? I call it good click bait, because you should write something that would shock people into watching it. Just make sure what they click on actually has value and tells what they came for essentially.This should be done both in Instagram stories and in the feed. Show the steps of how to purchase your product on the checkout page if you're having a sale. Show them what happens once they hit, "purchase." Guide them through your content. This is how you get people excited for what you create!
4. It's all about you and what you're up to:
Chances are, if you're reading this, you aren't a celebrity. I say this with love, but most people don't care that you just created a new product or that your new branding looks nice. They don't particularly care that you just came out with a new podcast. Of course, your best friends and people who admire you will be excited. Ultimately, people want to know what's in it for them. So, when you have a new project coming out, talk about why they should tune in or turn on "post notifications" to see when you go live.
5. Aesthetically pleasing photos are the only way to grab your audience's attention (and to get more likes):
As I mentioned earlier, it's okay to take nice photos, but you should pair it with a caption of substance! Many people are still posting a photo with a quote, which can empower people or make them feel good for a second. Think about long-term growth. How can you share something from your life to help someone else refer back to your post when they go through something? What's something good that has happened to you lately that isn't obviously seen in your photo? Good experiences are better to post than places visited, new purchases, or an activity you did. If you're talking about a place you visited or an activity you did, try to talk about how these things made you feel. Versus just saying you had a good time.