Social Media and Your Business: 10 Easy Ways to Show Up on Social
I get it. Social media takes time…sometimes far too much time. That last reel you created? Two hours. Drafting that carousel post? Another hour, gone. It may feel like it’s time to ditch the platforms altogether. Yet, 78% of consumers say they are willing to buy from a company after having a positive experience with them on social. Showing up is no longer an option, it’s necessary. But what if I told you that there are simpler ways to show up on social media?
Instead of feeling like social platforms waste your time, there are strategic ways to utilize social media to support your time and your business. In this article, I outline 10 of many solutions for simplifying your social media marketing. I get that not every solution is one-size-fits-all, but my goal is to create a starting point to help you and your business thrive.
Engage with the Community
One of the easiest ways to show up on social media is by interacting with others. Sometimes we are so focused on growing our audience from our own page or profile that we fail to show up where the people already are. These solutions are geared toward interacting with others outside of your personal social space.
Set a timer and spend 15 minutes scrolling, liking, and commenting on other people’s profiles and posts.
Spending a little time each day interacting with other people’s content is a great way to get to know others, start conversations, and be seen. If eyes aren’t currently on the content you create, finding conversations to join is a fantastic way to share your thoughts and ideas with others. Who knows, this one small act of interacting may even garner some new followers.
Join a Facebook group related to your business or industry.
There are millions (yes, millions) of groups on Facebook. In fact, a reported 1.8 billion people use Facebook groups every month. Joining groups related to your interests or industry creates opportunities for genuine connections with others who might benefit from your know-how. Take my friend, the book editor, for example. She joined several groups geared toward writing and self-publishing. She connects with other like-minded people while also gaining opportunities to share her editing knowledge (and even offer her services).
Participate in a challenge or private collective
These days there are plenty of opportunities to join a 5-day challenge or a private Instagram account or collective. While some are free, others may cost some money. If the topic interests you, it’s more than worth your time to join, learn, and connect with others who are on the same journey as you.
Plan Ahead to Make Social Posting Easier
One surefire way to make showing up on social media easier is by planning ahead. Without a strategy (or at least some idea of a strategy), the day-to-day demands of social can be overwhelming. Here are a few ways to plan ahead, stay on track, and maximize your efforts.
Make a point of responding to comments at the same time every day.
If interacting with your audience feels like a burden, it’s okay to create your own social media boundaries. Just like you would with a difficult client or contractor, set some parameters for your relationship with your social accounts. Schedule when you will be available to interact and respond to comments and DMs. Put in the calendar, set a timer, and stick to it! This also helps limit the daily/hourly distraction of opening your app every time someone likes or comments on your posts.
Create templates for your regular posts.
We all have posts we share regularly, whether it’s a carousel with business advice, a quote, or even a review of our business. Whatever those regular posts are, save yourself time by creating some templates in advance. Design several options for each type of post in an app like Canva or Adobe Illustrator. When the time comes to create a new post, simply update the copy, maybe switch out some colors, and voila, your content is ready to go in minutes rather than hours.
Celebrate Trends and Other People’s Content
One thing you learn really quickly is that social media is not all about us. It certainly feels that way at times. But sometimes the simplest way to show up is to enjoy the content that other people are creating. Whether that means tracking with trending content or following some of your favorite creators, here are a few ways to use existing content to make social media easier.
Reshare content you love.
Here’s the thing…if you love it, your audience probably will too. Promoting our businesses on social media isn’t always about creating brand new content. While I like to think we’re all very creative, sometimes the creative juices just aren’t flowing. And that’s okay! In those moments, share some of the beauty that others are creating. You’ll still be sharing something valuable with your audience while also promoting a fellow creator or business.
Use trending audio to create short reels that don’t require a lot of time or effort.
It really is okay to jump on trends. If you find yourself laughing at a Reel or TikTok and enjoying some trending audio, you have full permission to reuse that audio for your own video. (As if you need my permission, but you have it all the same). The easiest way to utilize trends is to pick short audios that allow you to create quick, one-off videos designed for high views.
Invite others to share on your platform.
That’s right, another way to make social media easy is to delegate the content creation to others. This can take the form of Instagram takeovers (where someone else gets to share their content on your feed/stories for the day), inviting a colleague or friend to share something valuable and promote their own business, or welcoming members of your staff to interact with your account. When other people share content on your account, it creates value for a wider audience than you might reach on your own. It also welcomes your audience into a different perspective of your business that they wouldn’t otherwise have.
Remember that Social Media is About Being Social
In the midst of promoting your business on social media, it is easy to forget what the platform was originally designed for sharing your world with others. Whether you use Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, or a combination of all of these, the main goal of each platform is really the same. People are on those platforms to connect, interact, share their lives, and get a glimpse into the world of those around them. With this in mind, sometimes the easiest way to show up on social media is to simply be sociable.
Share aspects of your daily life.
What would happen if you treat social media as a way to share fun, important, or humorous aspects of your day with your friends? Well, your audience are “friends” and it is okay to treat them as such. Consider your social media as a living diary. Drama aside, feel free to share tidbits from your day. If it is something you would text to a friend, partner, or sibling, chances are it is something your audience will also appreciate.
Capitalize on the cuteness of your pet, kids, shop dog, etc.
Real talk: animals and kids win the internet. Who doesn’t love a cute video of a dog doing dog things or a toddler doing toddler things? Some of the best trending sounds on TikTok and Reels are related to animals or kids. This past week, a viral video of a 4-year-old spouting encouragement to herself while snowboarding even showed up on Good Morning America. If you don’t have pets or kids, then the bonus tip (below) is for you!
BONUS: Share your interests.
Not everything you share has to be business-specific. Invite people on the journey of enjoying and experiencing the things you enjoy and experience. For some people, that may be their pets or kids (see above) and for others, it could be your love of hiking, your home garden, or even exploring local restaurants. Whatever you enjoy, chances are your audience will enjoy it too. And for those who don’t have the same appreciation for growing fiddle-leaf figs (for example), they will simply enjoy being welcomed into a small part of your world.
Showing up as a brand or business on social media doesn’t need to be so complicated. Yes, there will be seasons when your social account requires a bit more strategy and forethought. In the meantime, however, make your life easier by showing up in a way that feels authentic to you. The rest will fall into place when the time comes.
