Social Media Strategy: Don’t Be a Struggling Influencer, Build a Real Business
Are you pouring tons of effort into social media but seeing little return? Many people have a distorted perception of what it means to be a successful social media influencer and overlook the true power of social platforms for business growth. Today, I want to shift your perspective on social media strategy.
Influencers vs. Business Owners with a Social Media Strategy
I’ve worked with people boasting over 100,000 followers who were making minimal income. Meanwhile, I was generating more revenue with a fraction of the social media clout. Recent studies reinforce this:
- The average monthly income for an influencer is about $323.
- Influencers with under a million followers averaged $1,727 monthly.
- Even above the million-follower mark, the average was still just around $6,109 a month.
Let’s be realistic – chasing a massive social media following isn’t a viable business model for most people. So, how do you actually leverage social media successfully?
My Social Media Strategy: Educate and Share Experiences
I recommend focusing on these two areas:
- Educational Content: Target potential followers and position yourself as an expert in your field. Don’t go overboard here, as this content often gets lower direct engagement. Aim to include it strategically.
- Experiential Content: Build a loyal customer base by sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses into your business and personality. Demonstrate what it’s like to work with you and what makes you unique. People want to do business with real humans they know, like, and trust.
Key Takeaways
- Build Your Business, Not Just Your Following: If you want a sustainable business model, focus on the business itself. Building viral videos shouldn’t be your prime objective.
- Social Media is a Support, Not THE Effort: Use social media strategically to support your business goals. Let me use my newsletter as an example. My top priority is creating awesome newsletter content worth subscribing to. Promoting the newsletter on social media is secondary.
Strategic Social Media for Business Owners
If you’re a business owner, avoid mediocre content and think about value. Blend educational and experiential posts to achieve that crucial “know, like, and trust” factor. If you do this, social media will truly help grow your business. Remember, huge followings don’t always equal financial success.
Don’t phone it in on social media. Do it strategically or not at all. It’s time to try harder!
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform.
Time-stamped show notes:
- [00:00:30] Intro
- [00:01:23] My story about influencers vs. actual revenue
- [00:02:56] Influencer income survey data
- [00:04:13] Strategic social media use
- [00:04:30] Educational vs. experiential content
- [00:06:19] Build your business, not just your following
- [00:06:33] Social media as a support tool – my newsletter example
- [00:08:53] Wrap-up, final thoughts