What’s a kicka$$ social media plan I can use right away?
What’s a platform that’ll work best for my business? How do I get my name out there, get myself known and get some traction?
Should I pick YouTube or Facebook or Instagram or LinkedIn — or all of them — for maximum visibility and ROI?
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had students and clients ask these questions and here’s my honest answer…
ALL social media platforms can work for your business. They’re all great for marketing, audience-building and sales BUT here’s the problem…
There’s a massive amount of pressure to be everywhere on social media… all day, every day.
It feels like there are a ton of new developments you have to pay attention to and must-do social media tactics you have to implement if you want to skyrocket your visibility, audience and sales.
And just when you think you’ve come up with an awesome social media plan, you stumble on a popular marketing guru who says “fill-in-the-blank” platform is THE one you need to go with… and it’s not in your plan!
Even worse, you look around and you realize different gurus swear by different platforms.
Some say if you’re not on YouTube you’re as good as done. Some say you have to live and die by Instagram.
Others push Facebook like there’s no tomorrow.
Major FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) sets in and next thing you know, you’re spreading yourself out on every one of those platforms — YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn — because you’re scared it’s all over for you and your business if you don’t.
Playing to Win
Whether we realize it or not, we’re playing an “invisible” game when it comes to creating sales and success with social media…
I call it Social Media Roulette.
It’s a lot like regular roulette where you put down heaps of cash on one number, spin the wheel and hope the ball lands on the number you bet on.
So you win when you bet on the right number. You lose when you bet on the wrong one.
The way I see it, Social Media Roulette shares the same central idea…
You have to pick just ONE number — one social media platform — to win big.
But here’s where things start to get interesting.
With regular roulette betting on one number means you could win… or you could lose.
It’s hugely risky.
But with Social Media Roulette betting on ONE number — one platform — is all you need to do to win.
With one platform, you’re far less likely to be distracted and pulled in a hundred different directions, you get to focus your attention and your energy, and spend time building your audience.
And you’ll become known, liked and trusted on that single social space.
Unfortunately, most entrepreneurs don’t play it this way.
They bet on ALL the platforms. They put their chips on YouTube and on Pinterest, and on Facebook and on Instagram and whatever else that’s out there…
And they lose BIG.
All Out and All In
So maybe you’re thinking, “Really, Marisa? Just pick one platform? That’s it? That’s the plan?”
Yes, that’s it.
And there’s a lot of evidence to prove “just pick one” works.
Take a look at some of the biggest names, online… they bet everything on ONE number, they pick ONE platform and they win BIG.
As of this writing…
Investor, author and lifestyle entrepreneur Tai Lopez picked YouTube and he has over 1.2 millions fans on his channel.
Entrepreneur, best-selling author and motivational speaker Rachel Hollis has 1.1 million followers on Instagram.
Mega personal brand and influencer Gary Vaynerchuk has over 5 million fans on Instagram and over 1.8 million on Twitter and over 1. 9 million on YouTube… I know that’s 3 platforms but he started with just one — YouTube.
The most successful entrepreneurs start with ONE. They pick the platform that suits their communication style and their audience and they go all out and all in.
Start with _______.
No matter where you are in your business, no matter where you are in your social media strategy, pick one and go with it.
Don’t worry… once you nail one you can always add more later — or not 🙂
If you’re not sure which platform to start with, here’s a quick guideline:
Start with YouTube If…
- Your Strength is… you love the camera and the camera loves you and if you feel energized, excited and enthusiastic about being filmed, YouTube was made for you.
- Your Target Audience is… Gen-Z. About 96% of YouTubers are between the ages of 18 to 24.
- Your Industry/Business is… focused on solving day to day problems or you’re a motivational speaker or author. Most YouTubers get on the channel for a dose of inspiration and to find easy solutions to everyday problems.
- Your Content is… video-friendly. Guidelines, walkthroughs, tutorials and demonstrations are perfect for YouTube. Right now, cooking and makeup videos are huge on this platform.
- Advertising is… not your thing or you don’t have a budget for it just yet. YouTube is mostly a free channel and it’s still possible to organically grow your audience and increase engagement and reach.
Start with Facebook If…
- Your Strength is… you love community and you enjoy writing. Although Livestreams and video are incredibly popular, written content is still a big part of Facebook.
- Your Target Audience is… people aged between 35 to 65.
- Your Industry/ Business is… designed to appeal to older adults. Products like shapewear do well on Facebook and so do travel-related, marketing and business services.
- Your Content is… educational or business related. Business audiences and older adults looking to add to their skills and knowledge turn to Facebook for answers.
- Advertising is… definitely your thing. When it’s done right, Facebook Ads can bring in a ton of revenue with robust features like audience targeting, and Carousel Ads that let you display multiple, eye-catching photos and videos in one space.
Start with Pinterest If…
- Your Strength is… you have a good eye for graphics and you could happily work with images and photos all day long.
- Your Target Audience is… mainly women. Pinterest isn’t as popular with men.
- Your Industry/Business is… visually rich. Things like jewelry or cute t-shirts for girls and women are perfect for Pinterest.
- Your Content is… short, snappy and easy on the eyes. Recipes, quotes, and step-by-step DIY images work well.
- Advertising is… not a major priority or you don’t have the budget for it yet. Organic audience growth and reach can happen on Pinterest if you consistently share quality, eye-catching images on your boards.
Start with LinkedIn If…
- Your Strength is… you can easily relate to and work with career professionals and executives.
- Your Target Audience is… down-to-earth professionals and high income earners. Interesting side note: unlike the other platforms on this list, more men than women are active on LinkedIn.
- Your Industry/Business… offers products or services related to career or business advancement. Reigning champs on LinkedIn include recruitment firms and executive coaches.
- Your Content is… smart, well thought out and is preferably evidence-based with statistics and input from respected experts. Long form written posts work well on this platform.
- Advertising is… on the cards for you but get ready to invest to get the results you want. Ads on this platform can be pricier than most.
Start with Instagram If…
- You Strength is… capturing and sharing images and videos and you’re open to posting photos of your personal life. Instagrammers love “behind-the-scenes” shots of thepeople behind the brand as much as they love gorgeous images of the product they’re selling.
- Your Target Audience is… teenagers and young adults. Generally, people below the age of 35.
- Your Industry/Business… is product-based. Food, toys, and clothes are big
on Insta. - Your Content is… mainly photographs, images and video — that’s pretty obvious. What’s not so obvious is the type of visuals that work best. Stats show inspirational quotes, pictures and videos of animals and food, and images of human faces are massive attention-grabbers with Instagrammers.
- Advertising is… something you definitely want to explore. Ads on Instagram Stories — where posts and videos disappear in 24-hours — is currently gaining major traction. Stories Ads are full screen, and immersive, allowing users to move seamlessly between organic and sponsored content.
Powerful, Reliable… Doable
Make it a personal goal to be an A+ student on the platform you pick and aim to build a solid following before you add an additional one.
“Just pick one” is a powerful, reliable, doable social media strategy.
It’s a fast, effective, sustainable path to an engaged audience of real fans and followers who’ll fall in love with you and your products or services and clamor to buy from you again and again.
So, are you ready to win at Social Media Roulette? Okay, let’s spin the wheel…
What’s ONE social media platform you want to start focusing on for your business? What’s one platform you feel drawn to and why?
Spin the wheel, pick your platform and share below… I personally read and reply every single comment 🙂
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