Thinking of Joining a New Social Media Channel in 2016? Ask Yourself These Questions First.

by MGB2B

joining a new social media channelLinkedIn. Twitter. Facebook. Instagram. Snapchat. Some social media channels are thriving, some are exploding exponentially, and others are dying slow and painful deaths (ahem, Google+). If you already have a few of these under your belt, you might be thinking about joining a new social media channel. But before you jump in with both feet, make sure you’re ready to handle another channel by asking yourself these four important questions:

  1. Are my target audiences using it? Social media can and should tie directly in with your overall marketing strategy, the ultimate goal of which is to drive new business. If you are working hard to create a presence, develop strategic content, and drive engagement on a social media channel that your targets aren’t using, you are wasting a lot of very valuable time and energy. If, however, after researching the channel you find that your audiences are actively using it, then it’s time to develop a strategy and dive in.
  2. Is my content a good match? While you should avoid blanketing all of your social media channels with identical messaging (i.e. automatically pushing your Facebook posts to Twitter), you will definitely have some consistencies. Make sure your content is a good fit for a social media channel before you join. As I discussed in an earlier post, not every piece of content you develop – be it a blog post, presentation, or photo gallery – will be a match for every platform. That shouldn’t automatically rule out joining, but if you’re struggling to find a single piece of content that would work on that channel, then it’s not the right match for you.
  3. Do I have time to do it well? There’s the ‘T’ word again. With the exception of some targeted paid promotions, much of your social media efforts are going to be organic, meaning time is your greatest asset. If you can’t dedicate a few hours a week to a social media channel, especially in the beginning, then you are better off investing the time you do have in your existing channels.
  4. Is the channel growing? A social media channel doesn’t have to be gaining users exponentially to be viable, but it shouldn’t be bleeding them either. Again, it all comes back to your time investment. If a channel is petering out (sorry, Google+), then the roughly 3 months it takes to establish a presence and circulate quality content isn’t going to get you a return on your time investment.

If you answered “Yes” to all four of these questions, then you’re on the right path to joining a new social media channel. Talk with your team (and your agency) before setting down roots so you are all on the same page. You will need a solid strategy, compelling content, creative pieces, and goals to drive your efforts.

If you answered “No” to any of these, think long and hard before joining the channel you are considering. “No” means you either can’t identify potential business connections, quality content, sufficient time, or the promise of growth that would make joining worthwhile. Instead, try shaking up your existing channels to generate new followers and interest. Were you considering creating an Instagram account but don’t have the time to invest in regular posts? Bump up your photo game on Facebook, or create a short video of your latest project to share on YouTube. If you have the initiative to research new platforms, channel it instead into generating new content.

Starting something new in 2016 has its allure, but make sure you’re ready. Need a social media checkup? Drop us a line!

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