Step 1: Pick one social media platform
It’s easy to get overwhelmed by joining social media for the first time, and trying to sign up for every outlet will only make it worse. Start with one social and only one social media platform to decrease anxiety and overwhelm. Start slow to grow; take your time in discovering what’s put there.
Step 2: Educate yourself
This doesn’t have to be a deep dive or obtaining a degree. Watching a couple of YouTube videos about social media for beginners will help. The point is understanding what to expect with social media to avoid walking into it blindly.
Step 3: Use content creation tools
You don’t need anything with bells and whistles. Canva is an excellent tool for beginners. It’s intuitive, user-friendly, and has robust free account features. A quick Google search will reveal other creative tools for you to explore. Try a few and see what works best for you.
Step 4: Use a social media management tool
Though many creative tools now combine this function, it’s not to be confused with a content creation tool. For example, Canva started as an exclusive content creation tool. Over the last year or so, the design giant has the function for users to schedule content directly from Canva after users create it. Ergo, Canva is now a content creation and management tool.
We still advocate for beginners to start with one social media platform. But if you think you want to expand in the future by adding additional social media channels learning to use a social media management tool will be beneficial.
Hootsuite and Loomly are examples of content management-only platforms. Facebook (Meta) Business Suite (a native tool for Facebook pages and groups) is also a content management tool. Use Google or YouTube to view tutorials on how to use each one.
Step 5: Follow your favs
Who are the entrepreneurs, business owners, thought leaders, and organizations you admire and trust? These are the people, the entities you want to follow online.
Engaging with those you admire online will help you see how online engagement (likes, comments, shares) works.
If you become engaged enough, there’s a chance the person you’re following may check out your social media channels and mention or share your content on their feeds. It’s a win-win for both parties.
Step 6: Create custom hashtags
Custom hash tags are an excellent way for your content to be discovered. Custom hashtags should be unique to your business or brand. Keep them short and easy to remember.
Step 7: Stay consistent
Consistency is one of the biggest hurdles in social media. None of those steps mentioned earlier matter if you don’t stay consistent in your efforts. Remain hopeful but don’t skyrocket those hopes. It will take time for your social media to gain traction. It’s not abnormal to have little to no engagement when starting out. Don’t be dismayed. It takes time and consistency to build up a following. Regardless if you have one comment or a thousand, stay consistent in your publishing, consistent in your engagement, and remain consistent in your efforts.
Hope this Helps,
Chassidy Michelle | Founder