Do you know why you post, follow, pin, and tweet?
My kid came home from a birthday party recently with splat slime. It was in his favor bag and all the way home he was hurling it at the car window watching it splat against the glass. At home he used our sliding door and learned the farther he was away, the harder he could throw and the flatter the slime would land on the window.
Splat slime is a lot like the social media strategies of most bloggers. You hurl yourself at Facebook, or Pinterest, or Instagram, hoping to cast a wide net, only to stick for a moment then fall to the floor. Where all the dog hair is I might add. Gross.
At first, this method works pretty well because you don’t have that many followers. Lots of energy in one place works. But only for a while.
Soon, you find you are just hitting the window and then falling to the floor. Not a good strategy. Not a good use of your time.
What can you do to be more efficient, so you don’t have to use the splat slime method?
You need to create a mission statement for your social media. Crazy, I know. You’re probably thinking, “Why didn’t I think of that?” It’s because you’re too busy splatting and sliding.
But seriously, you can maximize your reach with a social media mission statement. Anything is an better than splat slime right? Okay, on to the mission statement.
Uh, what is it?
Just like you have a mission statement for your blog, (you do have one right?) you can create a simple mission statement for your social media usage. This will direct your time online and define your shares, pins, tweets, and likes. If you know why you are doing these things, you will also know how to do them with efficiency and skill.
Here are the 3 questions you need to answer as you create your social media mission statement:
1. What is your ultimate goal in using social media?
- Are you using it for fun?
- Do you want to share your writing?
- Are you looking to foster community?
- Do you just need a good dinner recipe?
As a blogger you probably want to share your posts because getting your writing out there means more readers. If you’re smart, and I know you are, you also want to get involved with a community and maybe even create your own. That’s good business there friend.
Maybe your goal is different. That’s cool. But you have to know what it is before you proceed. Decide now what your goal is.
2. How can you use social media to your benefit?
It’s time to stop thinking about all these platforms as toys and time-wasters. Take a step back and adjust your viewfinder.
Social media should be one of the most important tools in your tool belt. It doesn’t matter which platforms you choose to focus on, they can propel your message farther than your blog ever could, by itself.
Put on your work clothes. Grab a pair of gloves or an apron and start making social media work for you. Don’t just pin recipes you see in your feed. Start pinning your own work, your masterpieces deserve their own spotlight. They aren’t going to see the light of day, unless you put them in a position to shine.
There is a lot of talk out there about social media platforms just using and abusing their fan base. Be intentional and turn the tables. Make them work for you.
So, how can you use your platforms to your benefit? Write it down. It’s part of your mission statement.
3. What voice do you use on social media?
How do you use each platform you are on? Do you participate? Do you help others? Do you stand on sidelines? Do you share amazing content? Do you lead? Do you follow?
Your voice is a defining factor for your mission statement. Your approach is unique to you, which is good. But you can’t be all things to all people out there. You’ve got to find your own voice and then use it well.
What does your voice sound like on social media? Figure that out and you’ll be on your way to success.
How do you put all of these together?
- State your goal.
- Choose your tools.
- Decide on your voice.
My mission statement looks like this:
RealSavvyBlogger.com social media accounts exist to educate and encourage bloggers by connecting them to the best resources on the web via pins, tweets, and posts based on the unwavering belief in the beauty and power of each blogger to do amazing things in the world.
My approach is that I live with a rock-solid assumption that my readers are awesome. They want to share their voices and change the world. I want to do everything I can to support them. I use social media to encourage, educate, connect, and build up my audience. I do it with a little bit of humor and a lot of incredibly useful information.
That’s my deal.
What’s yours?
If you can answer the questions above you can find out what your deal-io is. When you do, you win.
Creating your own social media mission statement
It doesn’t matter what you want from social media. Maybe you want 500 new likes on Facebook. Maybe you’d settle for 50. (P.S. Don’t settle. Aim high. Super high.)
Maybe you want to be a part of a thriving community. You should get involved in some groups and see how they work, find out what you like about them, what you don’t, and then create one of your own. BAM!
Need some help? Check out the social media mission statements of these companies.
Write out your social media mission statement so you can look ahead. It might seem really strange and hard to do right now because you are floundering. Remember the splat slime? C’mon, pick yourself up off the floor and look up the road. What’s out there?
I’ll tell you what I see. I see readers and followers who are hanging on your every word. They want to know what you know and hear what you have to say. They love you because you are honest and transparent and give of yourself.
That’s the beauty of social media right there.
Whether you want a kabillion re-pins or a bajillion likes on Facebook, when you know your purpose for using social media you can start moving in a meaningful and purposeful direction.
What’s your mission for using social media?
Photo by Sara Kurfeß on Unsplash
Photo by Jakob Owens on Unsplash
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