In this episode I share the truth about “personal” and social platforms. The truth is, nobody can nor should tell you what is right for your brand or audience. But until you have clarity around your brand and audience, it will continue to be difficult to know where the line is. Thanks so much for watching!
What Do I Post On Social Platforms?
“Your content is your marketing.”
In this episode of #QandAwesome I answer a question I get every single day. What the heck do I post on my social platforms? It begins and ends with getting clear on your brand and your audience.
I’m The Client, Remember?
“A man without a smiling face must not open a shop.” Chinese Proverb
Since when did it become a thing to make a client jump though hoops to engage with your business? I am watching a disturbing trend unfold right before my eyes that astounds me and I while I have blogged on this topic before, here and here, I am inspired to share again. Why? Because I care, and even more because I know many are not even aware they are doing this.
As a business owner, our responsibility is to make the client experience the most awesome possible, online and off. This means several things. But here are just a few…
If you want me to engage with you, make it simple + easy.
And by easy, I mean make it easy for me. Be mindful of my needs and my process. Create a system that works for me, and of course, if it works for me, that means it will work for you. The harder you make it, the more likely I will choose to go elsewhere.
Be mindful of how you speak to me on social platforms. Please.
True leadership comes from having a level of control over our emotions. Just because you had one no show, does not make it OK to blame an entire following. When things begin to unravel, look inward, and look at your systems. There is something broken but guess what? It can be fixed.
I am not to blame for your lack of systems.
If you find yourself overwhelmed by texts, phone calls, and emails, look in the mirror. This is many times the most challenging part of biz ownership. So much of the angst you feel can be alleviated by having awesome systems and processes. But nine times out of ten, its not the people who fail, it’s the system that fails. Take the time to work on creating systems. Your anxiety and angst, and most of all, your clients will thank you.
Some systems + processes you may want to look into are…
Appointment Booking
Confirmations
Cancelled or changed appointments
No shows
Check In
Check Out
Pre Booking
Re-Do’s
Post experience
Lapsed client communications
FAQ’s
Agreements (Policies)
Note on agreements: Be sure these are created with the mindset that a large majority of clients awesome. If you are making a new policy charged with emotion over one repeat offender, that is not a policy, it is actually punishing everyone versus dealing with that one offender directly. Remember, doing biz with you should be simple, easy and client focused and friendly.
Look, I know biz ownership can be overwhelming, but that is what we signed up for. With the technology and choices available to us today, it is simpler than ever to implement systems that make the client experience awesome.
Always be mindful that we have choices. And of all the reasons I will choose you; how you treat me, and my experience with your brand, online and off, are some of the biggest reasons.
The choice is yours.
Love + Awesomeness-
Nina
PS: If you are an owner, our A School for Owners online coaching program may be a good fit for you. Interested? Click here to learn more!
Periscope vs. Facebook LIVE
“Be where your clients are.”
UPDATE: Facebook LIVE is now available for Facebook business pages as of April 5, 2016. Yay!
With the influx of LIVE streaming platforms and apps, I have been getting several questions on this topic and while LIVE streaming and broadcasting is nothing new, with the launch of Periscope, it seems to have been gaining momentum in some business categories.
So here are my thoughts….
As with any social platform, I always recommend starting with a clear objective of why you are engaging, how you are engaging, who are you engaging with, a content plan and a commitment to consistency. If you can only commit to one platform, then do that, and do it awesomely.
And with all of that, comes the last, and maybe most important thing, be mindful of how and when you choose to broadcast. Too much noise? You lose people. Too much TMI? You lose people. Too much sharing of events where people paid to attend, well, you know the answer to that one. #notcool
Periscope
App based (Periscope)
Links to Twitter
Lots of trolls
Save video option (but be mindful, context is key, so saving them and posting to YouTube may simply be out of context for the viewer)
Potentially high engagement
User can set notifications of broadcasts
Disappears from page in 24 hours
Sometimes poor quality
Comments feed for engagement
Hearts as likes
Light analytics in app
Facebook LIVE
App based (Facebook)
Available to verified pages and personal pages only, not business pages (yet)
More qualified audience (if you have been using your personal page for business as well)
Save and share video option (can share to biz page, if relevant, as well as embed on your website, but again, be mindful of the context when sharing to other platforms)
Stays on your timeline as long as you want it to
Can be edited post broadcast (Go to videos, select video, select edit)
Users can “subscribe” to get notifications of future broadcasts
Potential high engagement, depending on your personal page following and sharing plan
High quality
Comments feed for engagement
Likes as likes and comments as comments
No analytics per se (since its done via your personal page) but as with any Facebook native video, you can measure views and of course, measure likes, comments and shares.
At the end of the day, I will go back to be where your clients are. Are they on Periscope? Go there. Are they on Facebook? Go there. But always be mindful of your intention for broadcasting and the value you are bringing to the conversation.
My take? Facebook LIVE could be a game-changer, as there are a billion more people on Facebook than Periscope. I love the “no trolls” aspect, as well as the quality of experience for the broadcaster and the viewer. And at the end of the day, quality is what our audience wants, quality of content and experience.
Time will tell. And with all that is happening on the social web, it will change in a blink. Again.
Love + Awesomeness-
Nina
PS: Do you want to catch my Facebook LIVE chats? You can follow me by searching Nina L. Kovner or click here to follow. Thank you!
7 Gotta Do’s To Up Your Instagram Game
“You are what you share.” Unknown
So you wanna up your Insta game? Here are 7 gotta do’s that I promise will help make your Insta game strong…
1. Determine Your Theme
All good social pages tell a story. What will yours be? Your look, feel, and story are the foundation of creating awesome on Instagram. And on the topic of look and feel, please post quality photos, quality, I mean quality!
2. Up Your About Section
I want to know your biz name, your location, your “short” story, and please, how do I contact you? An online booking link is the awesome if you have that.
3. Use Hashtags Consistently
PLEASE. Without these, you cannot be found. My three rules for hashtags;
Use popular hashtags for your subject matter. Not sure, search for them and see what’s popular.
Use your branded hashtag always.
Why? So people can see your stuff and it keeps your content super organized, and allows others to use your hashtag so you can see when people are posting about you and you can say THANK YOU!
Use your local hashtags.
Like where the heck are you? By using local hashtags, people in your area can find you. Yay!
BONUS time saving tip- Put all your hashtags in your notes section of your mobile device and just copy and paste them in the comments section of your post. #yourwelcome
4. Add Your Location
Please add your business location to your posts. Why? So people can find your business and you can also search people who are in the area. And while you can no longer do custom locations on Insta, your business should be on there. And that is the location you want to use so peeps can find you.
5. Engage, Deliver Value, Engage, Deliver Value
Please spend more time listening then talking. Like, comment and share content as it relevant to your business, authentically, not randomly, but with intention and purpose.
6. Be Insanely Consistent
Yep, nothing can replace your consistent presence of posting and engaging with others on Instagram.
7. Measure, Learn, Adjust
I love Iconosquare.com but please remember, this is not about lost or gained followers or popularity, it is about engagement, relationships, and two-way communication. If your work is on point and you focus on that, the referrals and revenue will follow. #promise
Happy Instagramming!
Love + Awesomeness-
Nina
PS: Are we connected on Insta yet? If not, you can follow me @passionsquared I promise to deliver consistent and awesome value to help you create a more awesome biz + life, plus a few goat videos, cause I mean, goats! Right?