There is a conversation I keep having with clients and people in my audience, and it consistently goes something like this….

“My (insert social media platform) isn’t working – no one comments or likes or shares, Jenn – what can I do?”

Well, never fear! I’m going to tell you exactly what I think you should do – in 3 parts!

1. Actually make SURE it’s not working

Don’t just assume, or look at the post and think, pfft didn’t work.

You have your secret weapon – your insights, take a look – let’s see the hard data and what’s ACTUALLY happening, not what we assume is happening.

2. Ok, so we’ve checked and yep, our social media is tanking organically

By this I mean the free stuff you post (not paid ads).

So, a massive high five to you if you can guess what I’m going to say next?

What’s the number 1 thing I’d tell you to do if social media was tanking?

Email marketing.

Yep, email marketing – take a different approach to your customers.  Engage them in a different way.

It’s absolutely going to be more work than throwing a post up on social (which might be one of the reasons why social is tanking – but we’ll get to that in number 3!) but email marketing is ABSOLUTELY the number thing you should be doing.

What if you don’t have a list to email?

Get one!

If you’ve had past clients or customers, you must have email addresses?

And start now – before you get to the “my social media has tanked on me position” – start gathering your list now!

Yes, if you’ve never emailed them before you are going to have to send a well-crafted email to them to engage them, but I guarantee you, you will get a better open rate than an organic reach rate on social.

3. Lead with value!

If you go through your feed and the only things on there are

• Posts where you’re selling something or asking for the sale, or
• Funny/humour posts that have nothing to do with your business

Then – no wonder it’s tanking.

Yes – that’s a bit of tough love, and no, I’m not going to apologise for telling you that!

No one likes to be sold to ALL the time.

Lead with value.

Don’t underestimate what you know that others would like to know or need to know.

You have so much knowledge to share, get it from your brain, onto paper and share it!

Oh, and if YOU, yes you, are always missing from your social media – then start showing up for your audience so they can get to know, like and trust you!

People buy from people they like, know and trust – if your people don’t know who you are or what you’re about – then they will go to the next person to buy what it is that you sell.

BONUS TIP: And because I’m a serious overachiever, here’s another thing you can do – get off your social media and get into other people’s social media!

It’s called social media for a reason!

So go get social.

Join some groups – give some love and value.

Comment on other people’s posts and share them and engage with them.

The old saying is that Givers Get. So be a social giver of your time and the algorithm (along with other accounts) will give love and engagement back to you!

Your social media might no longer tank then!

For many business owners, they need to get with how marketing works now and into the future (and has done for a while and will do for many years to come!).

No longer do we spend 5 minutes curating an ad for a newspaper, tv or radio station or print a poster and hand it around and wait for the sales to come in.

We need to be marketing every day, engaging and being social every day and working for the sale every day.

That might mean 20 seconds of your life each day – or it might mean 10 minutes.

But you HAVE to move out of the mindset of set and forget / posting and ghosting.

That mindset is absolutely NOT going to work, and continuing on that path will mean you are going to keep getting frustrated with marketing until you embrace what marketing means these days – everything!

My hope for you is that you took my advice in number 1 above, looked at your insights and thought, huh, I’m doing ok after all and the self-inflicted panic went away!

But using the points in 2 and 3 and beyond will still help build your profile, your audience and ultimately your profit!

CONTACT JENN:

If you are struggling with nailing down a plan of attack for your business social media, then let me help you!

Send me a message on any of my social platforms or book a call at: http://bit.ly/Discoverwithjenn

I also have a simply amazing Facebook Community dedicated to all things small business – Like Minded Business Owners. This group of small business owners share a wealth of knowledge – please join if you aren’t already a member and become a part of a wonderful community!

Or you can DM me on Instagram or shoot me an email jenn@jenndonovan.com.au

I wish to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land, the Yorta Yorta People, on which I conduct my business today and pay my respects to their Elders past and present. I extend that respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples reading this blog post today.

About the Author:

Jenn Donovan of Social Media & Marketing Australia.  Jenn’s a coach and mentor from rural NSW and is all about empowering business owners to earn what they’re worth so they can make a bigger difference in the world.  The Founder of Buy From a Bush Business, Co-Founder of Spend With Us – Buy From a Bush Business Marketplace and host of the very popular podcast Small Business Made Simple, Jenn is all about community and humans interacting with humans!  H2H Marketing – human to human marketing. Jenn talks the talk but importantly walks the walk! Jenn’s online  community is over 320,000 with her famous Facebook Group currently at almost 320,000 members and still growing every day.  She’s the major of her own little online city!

Get in touch – www.socialmediaandmarketing.com.au

On Instagram – @jenndonovan_

On Facebook – Social Media and Marketing AU

Or on LinkedIn as Jenn Donovan