Social Media Is Neither Social, Nor Media: Discuss

The surgeon general recommends that kids don’t consume “social” media, because it’s bad for them, especially with undeveloped brains. It’s not that great for adults either, though we use it a lot. Most of us entrepreneurs use the platforms to attract more people into our audience, create thought leadership, win clients, and other business-related reasons.

You probably already know (especially if you’ve read my stuff before) that “social” media doesn't exist to help you with your business. It exists to place ads in front of your eyeballs so the company can get paid by advertisers. They use all kinds of variable-reward tricks, similar to what the casinos use, to keep you on the platform as long as possible.

I’ve read about tech “gurus” who don’t use “social” themselves, don't want their kids to have it, and advise others not to use it. But these are people who’ve already made their reputations and are well-known. Most of my business owner friends, and definitely myself, are not in that category.

I'm not sure you can completely divest yourself from “social” if you own a business that’s not hyper-local. Maybe if you have a tattoo shop or salon or lawn-care business, the type of company that is almost completely in the business of serving local customers, you could get away with no “social” media.

But if you’re selling a service, or products that can be consumed far from your location, I think “social” is important because most people spend some time every day on them. Obviously, you should look at the demographics to determine which ones are best for your business. (I think literally every single CRM app releases a report on “social” media with the demographic breakdown every single year.)

And also think about the kind of content you want to produce. I’m not super into graphic design, so Pinterest and Insta leave me cold. But if you love it, and the demographics are right, then they might be good choices for you.

It’s important for effectiveness at work to make sure that you don't end up falling down the rabbit hole on “social. So to celebrate Social Media Day on June 30th, here are some ways to be more social for your business.

Some of these ideas I'm pretty good at, and others…. well, let’s just say they’re a work in progress! It’s progress, not perfection. The more we can use “social” as a tool for business and less as an occupation for times when we need a break or are afraid to be bored, the better off we’ll all be.

If you use “social” to catch up with friends and/or family

This one’s easy. Go see them. If they’re not located close to you, give them a call. (Depending on their age and personality, you might want to text them first.) As human beings, we’re social animals. That is literally how we survived as a species: by banding together.

Human brains don't register commenting on a friend’s photo as being “social” (although it certainly counts as that according to the platforms). All your brain knows is you’re using your hands on a device. Nothing about that is social.

Even introverts need some socializing, just less than our extrovert friends. Seeing buddies and/or family in person is best, but phone calls and possibly Zooms work too. Take it off the platform.

I have a friend in France who calls me when she’s up early there, because for me in California it’s usually afternoon or evening here (technically the day before.) We Zoom when I'm not visiting her (or vice versa.)

And actually, the same goes for business friends. I like to Zoom one-on-one with people I'm trying to stay in touch with. Or you can join them at a physical retreat or conference, as I did with Entreprenista’s Founder’s Weekend this May. It’s so amazing to meet your far-flung friends in person! 

If you use “social” for thought leadership

I think a lot of coaches and consultants use these platforms to get their message across and differentiate themselves. I know I do! But of course, it’s not just coaches and consultants.

The problem with “social” is that your followers on a platform don't “belong” to you. They belong to the platform. The platforms are always trying new things to get the kind of engagement they want for their advertisers, and algorithm changes could prevent you from showing up in feeds. 

The answer is not to fall down the rabbit hole on the algorithm and spend your time trying to maximize it. Because as soon as you think you’ve mastered it, they’ll probably change it anyway. Yes, you do need to play nicely with the algorithm on your chosen platform(s). Yet the algorithm isn’t a priority unless every single operation in your business is running smoothly and you’ve maxed out the productivity of yourself and your employees. 

For LinkedIn (which is the only “social” I use for my business), I know the company wants “native engagement”, which means not scheduling posts. They also don't want links inside the content that take people off the platform. You can pretty much assume that’s the case on every single “social” channel.

Right now playing nicely with the algorithm means engaging (commenting) within an hour of posting. My habit is to create content ahead of time and then once I post, I go to my feed and certain accounts I’ve bookmarked to engage. I post my links in the comments below the post if I have them. I block off time to do this daily, and then I’m off for the rest of the day.

But even when you’re playing nicely, the audience is still the platform’s, not yours. You can do workshops where you get people’s email info or ask them to subscribe to your newsletter (or whatever) as a CTA. 

In LinkedIn, you can create an event to send people to on the platform, like if you're doing a workshop, and then have the outside link in the event. Put outside links in your post’s comments. 

Your email list, as long as you’re being appropriate about it and not sending spam, is a great way to build your audience off the platform. Then it really doesn’t matter what happens with the algorithm, because you’re in the inbox.

I’m working to improve on this one! I do have a newsletter, but I’m not good about converting my LI audience to my newsletter. Progress, not perfection, as they say.

If you use “social” to attract clients

This is pretty similar to thought leadership. You need to bring your audience off-platform in some way so you can get in front of them on a regular basis no matter who’s playing with their algo that week. A newsletter is great, and you might also consider offering discounts or coupons if that works with your audience and what you’re selling.

Some sales cycles are longer than others. People need to know, like, and trust you more when they’re spending thousands of dollars compared to buying a beautiful candle or whatever. A newsletter is a great way to stay in front of potential clients and clients who might buy from you again. 

It’s also helpful for your referral partners. One of mine commented on something I said in my newsletter and told me that the regular emails (I send 2x/month) helped her remember me when potential referral opportunities came up.

If you use “social” to showcase your work

Entrepreneurs whose work is visual often use sites like Pinterest and Insta to show off their portfolios. You can still use a newsletter to stay in front of prospects and existing clients, but you might have more images and fewer words than, say, I do.

The principle is the same. Bring your audience to you so that if the algorithm (or anything else) changes, you don't suddenly lose exposure to your people. 

What else might decrease your exposure to people? Suppose, just spitballing here, a supposedly genius businessman says he’ll buy a “social” platform and is forced to go through with it even though he didn’t really want to buy the thing. 

Then our genius decides that it should be a haven for Nazis and other trolls and reichwing propagandists no sane person wants to deal with or see ads next to their content. The sane people stop using the platform and you lose your audience that way (and you might have fled as well.) 

Even if your business is creative, a newsletter can be good for your business. I bought a couple of pieces of art from a woman I met at a desert art fair, and I subscribe to her newsletter. I can see what art she’s making, and she lists what shows she’s exhibiting at.

Of course, you have a lot of grounds for creativity here when you take your audience off the platform. You could create your own art fair with other artist friends to showcase your work IRL. Make a deal with a local business owner to hang your work and give them a percentage of the proceeds, or however you want to set it up.

Recap (tl;dr)

It’s hard for businesses that don't rely on local customers to get off social media entirely. That being said, reducing the amount of time you spend and avoiding rabbit holes is better for your health. 

Meeting in person or via phone and bringing your audience to you instead of leaving the audience up to the whims of the platform helps you engage no matter what’s going on at “social” corporate HQ.

Newsletter! Twice a month, focused on helping everyone be more effective at work. My message is to help people accomplish more at work (instead of just being busy) so they can have a life in addition to a thriving business. I’d love it if you would help me spread the word, and subscribe here if you like (unsubscribe if it doesn’t work for you.)