The nights are getting lighter (hurray!) and spring is in the air.
And if that’s making you want to grab your trowel, get weeding and tidying up, can I suggest you start with your social media accounts.
Like a neglected garden border, your social media accounts can start to feel a little tired and look unloved. But with a quick once over, they’ll soon be looking fresh and inviting and attracting new followers and fans soon.
Get those gloves on. It’s time to get dirty...
Tidy up your bios
Over time the info in your bios can go out of date. Maybe your business has changed due to Covid requirements or you’ve got new offers to shout about. Do you now offer a home delivery service? Can you offer remote services to your clients?
Take a close look to see if your bios still represent who you are and what you do. If a new visitor lands on your account, can they tell instantly what your business sells and why they should follow you?
Check your branding, logo, images and messaging are consistent across all platforms. Are your banner images up to date and the right size for each platform? Remember to also check images can be fully seen on mobile devices as well desktop.
Finally, check that weblinks are working, and all contact details are correct to ensure you won’t lose potential customers along the way.
Dig out old accounts
Chances are you’ve got a few social accounts that you don’t use very often. That’s OK, you don’t need to be on them all. (In fact, I would recommend that you aren’t on them all!)
But have a look at those old accounts and think about the message they’re sending out about your business.
Have they got old branding, contact details or you’d forgotten you’d even set this account up? Could the fact you haven’t posted for years lead potential customers to think your business is closed?
Armed with this information, decide whether to bin the account or upcycle it. If you decide to keep it (even if you put it on hold), bring it up to date and in line with your other platforms. Include messaging and links to where else followers can find you.
If you have a website, check your social media links are sending your visitors to your active accounts only. Don’t send them down a dead-end and risk losing them before you’ve started.
Prune your feed
Do you find yourself wading through endless posts on your newsfeed that you aren’t interested in? Spring is a great time to cut back on who you are following!
Take time to review your ‘following’ lists and unfollow people who no longer add value. These could include:
Accounts that aren’t relevant to your business
Accounts that make you feel bad about yourself
Dead accounts (they haven’t posted for months). This will reduce your following numbers
(Only do a handful at a time - some platforms can temporarily block your account if you go too crazy.)
While you’re at it, double check you’re following the people who support you, the people who comment on your content and champion your brand. Are you following suppliers and businesses within your industry?
Brush up on your competitors
While it’s important not to get hung up on what your competitors are doing, it’s also a good idea to keep an eye on what they’re up to.
What type of content is working for them? Look at the posts that get a lot of likes and comments and identify why this might be. Are they trying new things - using Reels or Guides on Instagram, for example? Are they active on Clubhouse?
Look at what the large corporate brands are doing and take inspiration as to how this could relate to your business and audience. Don’t copy their ideas though, put your own unique spin on it and stay true to your brand values and voice.
Sow new content
Is your content feeling a bit jaded? Are you stuck in a rut, posting the same thing over and over again?
Then it’s time to dust off your content calendar, get creative and try something new.
Go back to the drawing board and remind yourself who your ideal customer is and what they want to hear from you.
Brainstorm new ideas, screengrab or save posts that have caught your attention, look at what’s worked in the past and think about how you can do more of that, but better!
The more enthusiasm you pour into your posts, the more your followers will get from them.
If you feel you don’t have the time and you need a fresh pair of eyes to examine your social accounts, I can do this for you. I offer a social media audit service that examines the strengths and weaknesses of your accounts, identifies improvements and makes recommendations for you to maximise the potential of your account. If this is of interest to you, please have a look at this service on my website and send me a message to get booked in.