In the world of clicks, tweets, snaps, facebook posts and just about every other digital and social media platform, stands the business owner wondering which goliath they should tackle first? I was invited to be a speaker on a panel by The Edmonton Journal Capital Ideas team a few weeks back and it was awesome! A room full of small business owners in Edmonton combine to ask some of the best questions regarding effective use of social media.

Here are a few of my favourite questions from the session:

1. How do you cope when your business grows too fast?
2. How do you juggle social media and family/life balance?
3. Should you be scheduling posts and what social media platforms should you use?
4. When dealing within the insurance health fields, how do you form a social media strategy that is still fun amidst all the red tape and governance?
5. How often should you post?
6. Should you be on all platforms?

With social media, I will say it time and time again. It is all about people! Scheduling posts and trying to use social media management tools to distribute content into the world through the various different platforms is a slippery slope because you are dealing with REAL people. I suggest learning and using each platform for the same reasons it’s user base does. Your job as a business owner is to create or curate content that wraps around the platform and speaks to the user.

Here are 7 tips for being successful in social media playing the LONG game:

1. Decide whether you are a DJ or Producer, meaning great dj’s will remix already made music and producer will create something from scratch. Do you create or curate?
2. Create a chart that summarizes each platform so you can repurpose your content based on each social network’s requirement.
3. Create a game plan if you have scheduled content in the event of a disaster
4. Pick two social platforms and make love to them in every way possible so you can get the full advantage of why they are unique and tailor your content to them
5. Figure out what your “why” is and what your “story” is?
6. HAVE FUN
7. Have self awareness

To read the full article in The Edmonton Journal, visit here. I would love to know your thoughts! Send me a message on Snapchat, Instagram or Twitter @RyanHoltz1 🙂