Social Media Overwhelm

Overwhelmed by Social Media?

Social Media Overwhelm: Know Where to Start with Social Media

Social media overwhelm? Don’t tell me you’re not overwhelmed! Even the professionals are–whether they admit it or not!

There’s no doubt that we simply have to have a social media strategy for the sake of our brand online. It has become as essential as a website for your online business. If you don’t have a website and a well-planned, organized social media presence you’re losing out to businesses that have that covered. There’s no easier way of keeping a finger on the pulse of what’s being said about you, and no easier way of controlling that tide for better or worse.

Keep Your Social Media Strategy Simple to Avoid Social Media Overwhelm

But you can have too much of a good thing. It seems as if we’re pulled in a thousand directions at once, and I know of several online businesses that have withdrawn completely from the world of Social Media simply because they don’t know where to begin. I would urge you not to do that! You’re missing out on so much that’s good for your business if you do. They key is moderation, and knowing when to stop.

It’s probably better to start small with social media. It makes sense, even if you don’t do much with them, to have accounts with the major social media entities such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn. Anything else you choose will depend on what kind of business you’re running, and what your social media needs are. I would just say that if you’re still feeling your way around, sites like Quora and Focus can allow you to expand your knowledge in exactly the areas you feel you need, by asking questions of your network

Social Media for Restaurants and Services

If you’re running any kind of restaurant or providing local service, I’d strongly recommend Foursquare or Yelp, because these are sites that people use to look up what’s near to them. It’s an opportunity not to be missed. I notice that some restaurants opt to stay away from Yelp because of the possibility of negative reviews. The truth is, everyone gets negative reviews, but if you’re on Yelp you’ll be aware of them, and you get a chance to counter them with positive reviews from satisfied customers.

YouTube Social Media Strategy

YouTube is something of a mystery to most online businesses still. But that’s changing fast. Social media culture has promoted the concept of absorbing the information you seek via video. In fact, video is a very popular type of content to have on your website.

YouTube makes it so easy to make a short video about whatever it is you want to promote and upload it. Here’s some great information on how to make your YouTube video pay for its keep.

Don’t Shoulder all the Responsibility Yourself

Invite your community–your customers and workers–to help you out with your social media strategy. If your product or service is good, they’ll be only too happy to share what they know through their own accounts and link up with you. This feedback via social media is far more powerful than anything you can do by yourself. Here’s a great article with lots of tips on getting help from others with your Facebook strategy.

If you’re still suffering from social media overwhelm, why not ask for some professional help with setting up your initial social media strategy? It will make a difference to the way you do business online, and if you keep it up it will have positive effects on your business and your brand. Try it and see!