"Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world." – Harriet Tubman
Last week I recorded a solo podcast and I’m outlining the gist of it here for you because it’s that important. It’s the thing I want you to focus on for social media for 2022. Print this out or save this email.
Here we go…
1. START WITH JUST ONE PLATFORM.
The first rule of social media dominance is to focus. You can’t be on every platform at once, at least not at first. Connecting with people in one place is better than splitting your attention between six different apps.
Plus, have you seen the number of apps these days? The options are overwhelming.
You can join:
Facebook
Facebook Messenger
Instagram
YouTube
TikTok
LinkedIn
Twitter
Pinterest
Snapchat
Clubhouse
Reddit
Discord
Podcast networks (e.g., Spotify)
Twitch
Patreon
WhatsApp
The top five apps are Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and LinkedIn. Billions of people engage in those spaces, so they’re perfect for attracting a large audience. you've heard the saying, "go where the consumer is"? Well, this is where they are so stop overthinking it.
Just remember that the best platform for you isn’t the most downloaded app; it’s the space where you can easily find your target audience and the one you gravitate to the most.
2. FIND YOUR NICHE.
In 2022, finding your niche on social media is a must. You want to attract like-minded people, not random followers who don’t view your content or make purchases. You should spend time identifying which community you belong to, whether that’s dads looking for trail running shoes, teens who love mobile gaming, or like I’m thinking of targeting: journal lovers.
Remember what I continually tell you, "you’re not covering a whole world here with your message. You’ve got to identify your audience, and you’ve got to jump into that niche, and say, ‘Hey, this is what I’m talking about.’"
When you find the right niche, stick to it. Social growth gets easier with focused content that continually speaks to your audience. Don’t forget it.
3. GET COMFORTABLE TELLING STORIES—LOTS OF THEM.
Good marketing is essentially good storytelling. If you can tell a fantastical tale, one that paints your audience as heroes on a noble quest, your social media channels will grow. It’s really that simple.
People connect through sharing stories and seeing themselves represented in a positive light. This is how growth will happen. As you start engaging in these posts and in your feed, I want you to start thinking, ‘What can I give out to these platforms to be able to tell my story and connect with people?’ And it’s the three F’s: feelings, facts, and fun. If you get at least two out of three in every post, you’re doing something right.
4. LEVERAGE THE POWER OF INFLUENCER MARKETING.
You know that one influencer you always see on your feed? The one who posts within your niche and gets mounds of engagement? Send an email to that person in 2022. Ask about their rates and whether they’ll market some of your products or promote you to their audience.
You wouldn’t be the only person reaching out, by the way. According to Influencer Marketing Hub, 90% of brands believe in the power of influencer marketing.
If you want to grow your business fast, find an influencer, there’s an influencer for everything. Find one to help you grow, and not just one [person]; I would challenge you this year to say, ‘Who else can [I] hire to come in and push that product out?’"
5. REPURPOSE CONTENT ACROSS SOCIAL MEDIA.
Posting identical content on every platform is not a great idea, although for now short videos across YouTube,TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook works for now.. Digital communities have a distinct culture, and they don’t respond to the same conversations or even the same conversation style. Transform your content to blend with any platform and the people who inhabit it.
For example, you can do a lot with one YouTube video. Eventually, that video becomes a blog post, which condenses to a Twitter thread, which shrinks to a TikTok or Instagram Reels script. Even podcast creators have a plan for their content. Full visual episodes are perfect for YouTube, while sound bites and video clips go to Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.
6. BUILD YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA TEAM.
Lastly, don’t try to go it alone on social media. It’s like New York City: loud, crowded, and up all night. You need help navigating those 24/7 spaces.
Do you want to grow this?
Do you want to make this a real business?
You need a team!
By a team, I don’t mean a social media manager who handles every profile. Every time you join a new platform, you need someone to oversee and manage that community.
Imagine a Facebook manager having to suddenly create TikToks. That’s a major platform shift. Now that person has to track trending audio clips and muster the courage to dance for 60 seconds. You’re better off hiring someone who excels in that area.
Your social media plan for 2022 depends on your audience and what you want to accomplish overall. But for any type of goal—entertainment, marketing, selling goods—you have to build a following first.
And remember I’m here to help so reach out with any questions or if you need coaching!
If you want to listen to this more I have a podcast that I recorded last week just on this topic: A Social Media Plan for 2022. Thanks for reading A Brilliant Tribe.
