Social Media FAQs

In the last year, I’ve had so many great opportunities to speak to people about social media, technology and event planning. And no matter where in the world I am, there are a few common questions that always seem to come up. Today, I thought it would be helpful to share some of the most common FAQs as we enter the new year. Below are a few questions I hear at almost every event, in no particular order.

How do I get people to follow me on Twitter? How do I get more fans on Facebook?
The real answer to this question is one that people don’t want to hear. We know that a wide reach on social media gives us a huge branding opportunity along with many other benefits, but the truth is that it’s not HOW MANY people who are following you, but WHO is following you. I always suggest that you first focus on finding valuable people to follow yourself and begin engaging with them. Also – share interesting, relevant, authentic content. The combination of these two actions will attract the best kinds of followers – those who truly enjoy what you are doing and want to get engaged. Whether you have 500 or 5,000 followers, this is how you’ll get the best audience.

How do you do it ALL?
Well, first of all, I don’t do it ALL. And I don’t think anyone should. There are hundreds of ways you can spend your time online, but the successful people focus on a few channels that work best for them. This is, of course, different for every person. Every business has different goals, target audience and personality and you need to be where it makes sense. But – the truth is that I do a lot. I blog, tweet, Facebook, use LinkedIn… How do I do it all? First of all, I got a slow start. I started with one network and just kept at it until I felt like I was in a groove and then I added something new. Dipping your toe in instead of jumping into the pool really helps you to manage it all better.

Why blog?
In my opinion, a blog is the single-best way to brand yourself. While people get a sense of who you are and what you do on social networks, they are only getting snippets. What you need is to share all of your expertise and a blog is a great way to do that. Now don’t get me wrong – they are a lot of work to keep up. However, I think they are worth every minute of your time! And, like all things, forcing yourself to do it regularly eventually becomes habit and before you know it, you’re writing all the time!

Have more questions about social media? Leave them in the comments and I’ll be happy to get back to you!