Do you really think social media will solve all your problems? — Greta Beccarello

Spoiler Alert: IT WON’T.

And sorry to ruin it for you, but what you see on social media is only a little segment of reality. Actually, I’m going to propose that when you sign up to any form of digital platform, there is a big disclaimer saying ‘ Please use consciously, it can harm you, and the people around you; it is dangerous for your health, and is highly addictive ‘.

I can’t stress this enough, and that’s because I create content for work and I made it my mission to educate people on how to use social media correctly. Which is why I cringe when I hear people pretending that social media is The way to bring in 1000 sign-ups in a month or The fastest way to get your business to make 10K a month and so on. It is not.

I won’t argue the fact that there are tons of examples where this has worked out well, but this is not the point. My point is: you cannot expect that any form of marketing is going to automatically do the job, if you don’t have the basis or the business structure ready to serve your strategy.

Business Idea > Brand Building > Content > Social Media > Sales

You are probably familiar with the concept of a funnel: funnels are an incredible tool used in both traditional and digital marketing, as a clear breakdown of the customer acquisition journey into buying a product and/or service. Every step of the funnel represents a specific type of activity that is targeted for the customers’ needs and pain-points, with the ultimate goal of converting that customer into a brand ambassador (and more! It doesn’t have to end here).

A very generic example can look like this:

Awareness > Consideration > Conversion > Loyalty > Advocacy

So where does social media come in to play?

Social Media is just a little segment of the funnel, normally used at the beginning of the journey (Awareness + Consideration) as a great way to create interest and help the customer/client getting to know your product and/or service. Then, you need to think about the type of content you need to be focusing on, that speaks to your customers (potential, new and old!) and will build on your business and brand strategy.

To go back to the title of this blog post, do not assume that just by having pretty pictures on your Instagram account you’ll be able to gain customers and don’t assume it will solve your business problems. If anything, personally, I think it will just make it worse. And I tell you why: there are 25 million business profiles on Instagram right now, making it one of the busiest marketplaces available online. It’s easy, it’s free, it gives you access to 1 billion + of monthly active users so why would you not make the most of it?!

Because there is so much competition, only the brands and businesses that have a clear vision (and strategy) will make it. And this works for all those profile communities of people too. The more control you have over who you are, what you do and why you do it, the easiest it will be to communicate it with your audience and the easiest it will be to be understood, therefore your audience will engage and your business will flourish.

Now, I realise this sounds really simplistic, but let me just make it very clear that it is not. The problem is that we are so bombarded by social media gurus trying to sell us a magic formula and telling us what to do, that it’s overwhelming and distracting, so be mindful of what you read, see and buy into. Remember: social media is only a little slice of reality, and we all need to be more cautious and responsible about the way we use it, personally and professionally.

Do you struggle with social media? Do you want to know how to create better content that speaks to your audience? Do you want to understand how to make a sustainable, organic and positive experience? Email me your struggles!

Thank you for reading!

Greta x

Originally published at https://www.gretabeccarello.com on November 13, 2020.