It has become abundantly clear that social media is one of the best ways to grow your business and reach your target audience. If you want to wage a successful marketing campaign, using social media is a must. Many business owners tend to believe that having a presence on each of the major social media platforms is necessary. After all, if one platform is good then three or more must be better, right? Well, maybe and maybe not.
Like most things in life, it’s better to master one platform with a commanding presence than spreading yourself too thin. Simply “being” on all the various platforms along with the thousands of others vying for customer attention just isn\’t good enough. Think of it in sporting terms – an Olympic diver doesn’t begin at the top. First, they master the 16’ diving board before taking those skills to 25 and ultimately 33 feet. As they journey to the top they learn what works and what doesn’t and with each move they become more effective. In your race to the top, have you been wasting your time using multiple social media platforms before mastering one?
Big businesses have the time and resources to manage multiple platforms well, but small businesses don’t have that luxury. That’s why it’s especially important to master one platform before moving on to the next. It is far better to have 10,000 followers on one social network than a few hundred followers on each of your platforms. It’s easy to become the victim by scattering all of your resources on different social media platforms for a mediocre outcome on each; however, by investing in one platform, you can gradually apply that success to bigger and better reach. This might be one of the few cases that it’s okay to put all your eggs in one basket!
Become the authority on one social media platform. Assert yourself as one of the players in your industry. Make your presence known in one place instead of being part of the background in multiple places. Find the social media platform that YOUR audience calls home. Why do they dwell there and what attracts them to that specific site? Realize that where your peers are is not always where you should be. If your competition is already there, so be it – you will be better than them by focusing your energy in one place.
You will be better by choosing a platform you’re comfortable with and can easily maneuver. If you do this you’ll find the overwhelming task of managing a social media account can be fun and exciting. Let those creative juices flow!
Points to remember:
- Social media is useful and cheap but don’t spread yourself too thin.
- More social media doesn’t necessarily mean more effective advertising.
- Managing even one platform can feel overwhelming at times – it’s ok to ask for help.
- Find where your audience is and choose to spend quality time on that platform.
- One platform will do, for now.
