I hate to use the word, but…
Nowadays…
.
…it seems like those who have the funds have the social media platform. They can kick off who they want. They can include who they want. They can silence who they wish. They can amplify who they wish.
We recently talked about the use of one social media platform exclusively over another. You can check it out here: https://webbinit.com/why-a-balanced-approach-is-important-part-two-social-media-edition/.
We recently posted about the idea that people who use Facebook exclusively and really don’t bother with developing their website or their SEO strategy really are settling for the quick and easy.
We here at Webbin’ It have no comment on the owners of social media platforms and how they choose to spend their money.
But, like Jim Rome tells his listeners almost every day, you should have a hot take. We do have a take on how should approach your social media. And…it might meddle with the way you think. Sorry…not sorry.
This is not the “hot take.”
You can bet that customers use their social media, but your experience with them will not be 100% the same across the board. Speaking from experience here, Webbin’ It has heard about many different target audiences. We have questions for customers that have wrapped their target audiences in blankets.
What are blankets? Statements like, “I communicate with all my followers on Facebook every day.”
There are some red flags we have when someone wraps their target up like that, so we investigate.
“How many followers do you have?” we ask.
Usually, proudly, they’ll answer with a number, “Over 1,000!”
“So, on Facebook Messenger, you send an individual message to every single customer, every single day?”
“Well, no, I mean, I do a Facebook post every day.”
“And you get over 1,000 likes and shares every day?”
“No…but it’s a good response.”
“What do you call a good response?”
“Well, some people like it and I get some shares…my niece shares whatever I post…”
…and that is when we start walking a road where we realize that just because we make a post it doesn’t mean we are communicating, it means we’re posting something someone can choose to read, not read, share, not share, like or not like…and that’s just the human element. Facebook fiddles with your news feed to get their ad customers in front of you first.
I once had a customer tell me that most of the people that came into their shop were not on Facebook. I once had a customer tell me that most of the people that came into their shop were not on Facebook. While some people do not have one, most of the time if you follow up with a question or two, you find out what social media platform they are using. So I encouraged them to follow up the denial of use of Facebook with just a follow-up of, “Oh, really?”
The next time he met me, he told me that he had asked the “oh, really” question to 10 people. All 10 said, something to the effect of, “Well, I do, but it’s just to keep in touch with family.” He told me that since he had them in the conversation anyway, he pressed to find out what social media the person preferred. He found a common denominator and decided to pursue followers on Instagram as well as Facebook. This baffled him somewhat because he saw how he could leverage Instagram for his business just by posting a picture of a delivery truck delivering stock.
You know how you use Facebook. That doesn’t mean that your target audience is going to use Facebook like you. Finding out how your audience uses their social media is key. You could be missing out on engagement and profit by ignoring an entire group.
Still not our “hot take.” It’s coming, though.
He also told me that he found that the Facebook hang-up was that some didn’t know how to do some everyday things on Facebook. Rather than admit they didn’t know how to follow their business on Facebook it was easier to avoid the question altogether.
But, first, a mini-hot-take. Social Media as it relates to your website only has to relate to your website. We know that there is silliness on Social Media.
When my boys became teenagers they set out to argue with everything, or so it seemed. They were often surprised that I had an opinion on their argument and my wife and I adopted the phrase, “Don’t start none, won’t be none.” Don’t engage in the silliness and don’t start any silliness; you’ll be fine!
We also know that Social Media Platforms are making more moves that are politically motivated these days. Regardless of who banned who or why, or who silenced who or why, if you engage with your customers you can avoid it.
