“Posting on Facebook for my business, simple right? Just write and post.” If only this was true…

Okay so it’s obvious that I LOVE all things social media. Hello social media addict anonymous.

And I am sure I am not the only one – social media is embedded in all our personal lives.

Hence why I do it as a full-time job.

I have been working on social media for businesses since I left university back in 2013 and have seen significant changes on these platforms in terms of popularity, trends and algorithms.

Today – organic social media reach (unpaid) is hard.

Businesses can’t just simply scroll through their photo albums, choose a pretty picture, write a little caption, post away on Facebook and expect to get significant engagements, likes and gain followers.

 The Facebook algorithm does not like this – a big thumbs down.

Businesses need to add value and produce amazing content and according to Facebook in 2019, businesses need to create “meaningful interactions.”

Those interactions can be simple things such as a person commenting or reacting to a post they have seen through a friends shared post or people replying and interacting through comments.

The Facebook algorithm prioritises engagement and people to people interactions. So, if your posts are not following suit they will simply disappear into a distant memory – and no one wants that.

Quality, consistent and strategic content matters.

I am so unbelievably passionate about the above statement and the amount of times I have had to stress this in my job roles is uncountable.

People often think social media management is easy and not time-consuming but as soon as you get into it you start to realise the complexities – especially if you want to achieve your business goals through social (which you should).

 Spending time and - sorry to say it - money on your social media accounts is king. As well as keeping up-to-date on social media trends - hello insta stories, GIFs and live videos.

Your brand will suffer if you only post a couple of times a week or worse, not at all.

Planning and creating a content calendar may sound daunting at first but it will keep your social media posts aligned with your marketing and business goals so that your social media business page can thrive in the crazy digital world of 2020.

Quick tips:

 • Before you get ahead of yourself and set up a business page you need to discover your SMART goals (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timely) If you have no goals you cannot track your ROI on social media – then it really will be pointless

 • Invest in Facebook advertising – not just “boost posts” – through your Facebook business page use your ad manager account, set a budget and create compelling ads to boost your business

 • Mix it up – predictable content is a snooze fest – within your content calendar think about how you can add value to your audience whether that be educating, informing or telling your brand story. Then decide if this is better suited through imagery, video, infographics, blog posts etc

 • Create a community – people love to feel part of a supported group/community. Your brand should inspire originality and make people WANT to engage in conversations with you

 • Find your voice – find your brand persona that will resonate with your business. Is your business professional or playful? Conversational or formal?