If you’re anything like me, you have a love-hate relationship with social media. It’s a great tool to grow our business and trust factor, but we dislike the fact that social media is constantly changing. Attempting to keep up with the never-ending changes and algorithms feels like a chore in its self.

Why social media?

At the time of this post I did a little google research and this is what I found.

• Instagram has 112.5 Million US users. That is a 5.4 % increase for 2019
• Facebook has 1.73 Billion users
• Linked in has 610 Million users
• Twitter has 152 Million active users
• Pinterest has 335 Million active users each month

That is a lot of people! I think everyone with the exception of my 101 year old grandma is using social media.

No, you don’t have to be active on all of the social media platforms. This can be very overwhelming. So instead, I suggest that you pick one or two platforms and be active on the one or two platforms that you choose.

Benefits of using social media

• It allows you to engage with your clients or prospective clients.
• As you engage more you learn more about your followers and they learn more about you.
• Its a place where you can show your work and attract clients.
• It increases your professional network, build business relationships
• It Increases traffic to your website.
• It lets you establish yourself and your business as a trusted resource for your industry and clients.

Today, I’m going to be talking about the two platforms that I use for my business which are Instagram and Facebook.

First, we have to understand that Facebook and Instagram are SOCIAL platforms which means you have to engage, you have to be active. The more you show up, you post and engage the more these two platforms will reward you. So make sure you are not only posting on your accounts but that you are actually taking the time to engage with your followers. And engagement doesn’t mean liking their post or commenting on their post with an emoji. Engagement means commenting on their post with at least 4 words, sending DMs, and commenting on their insta stories.

What should you post on Instagram and Facebook?

I suggest not making it all about the business, products, and services you sell. The way to get people to engage with you is to share posts or videos that are going to educate, inspire, entertain, or tell a story. And make sure you have a call to action on your post or video. Tell people what you want them to do.

And here’s a tip when you post on one platform, don’t post the same thing on your second platform right away. People don’t want to see the same thing twice in a row. Instead, I suggest repurposing your content. For example, if you post today on Instagram, tweak the post a little and post it on Facebook a week later.

Do’s and Don’ts on using social media.

• First, you have to make sure that you are not using your personal Facebook account to conduct business. It is against Facebook policies to use your personal Facebook page for business use and Facebook can actually shot down your account.
• Don’t befriend people only to sell to them or invite them to your private group. People don’t like to be sold to. Build relationships first and if they are interested in your service or product the sales will come.
• Don’t spam them through Messenger. It is also against Facebook policies to send any kind of promotional material through Messenger. People need to opt-in in to get updates or promotional material from you. Which is why messenger is not an option on business accounts.

I hope you found this information helpful. As always I appreciate feedback so let me know thoughts, your biggest takeaway, or if you have any questions.

LYDIA GILLIS PHOTOGRAPHY is Denver based and Destination Wedding Photographer, Seniors and Personal Branding Photographer.

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