Maybe you should quit Instagram.
Written by Katie Test Davis
You have 20 tabs open.
You’ve got your phone in one hand, scrolling through your feeds, while you’re checking your emails on your laptop.
You’re wondering what hashtag you should use.
Put down your phone. Close those tabs. Resist the trending hashtag.
We’re always being told more is better. More social media outlets, more messaging, more fries, more EVERYTHING. But here’s the thing: that’s a lie (with the exception of the fries part.)
Sometimes more social media platforms actually means less success.
A successful social media strategy should be driven by two elements:
A clear, measurable goal of what you want to achieve on the platforms you’re using
A specific target audience you want to reach.
The magic formula is GOAL + AUDIENCE = YOUR PLATFORM
Let’s start with your goals for being on a social media platform.
You may want to:
Drive policy change
Attract new subscribers for your email list
Hire someone for an open position
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Each of those goals are best suited to a different social media platform; in this case, one size does not fit all.
The next thing you need to tackle is who you need to engage to meet that goal. If you want to reach policymakers, Twitter will be your best bet. If you want colleagues from peer organizations to join your coalition, try LinkedIn.
So if you’re on TikTok because you hear it’s the latest and greatest, but you are trying to reach individual donors who are 50 years or older and make more than $250k per year to ask them to donate, then it’s pretty safe to assume you can hop off TikTok. Your donor audience is not there. Same goes for LinkedIn – if you’re on LinkedIn trying to reach parents and families, you’re in the wrong spot. You’re much more likely to find parents and families on Facebook.
When in doubt, take a look at your data and stats and let them guide you! For example, if you’re consistently getting less than 100 impressions on your Facebook posts, you may not be reaching your audience effectively.
Consider this your permission slip to stop trying to be on all the channels because…You know. Someone told you you should be!
Your valuable time is better served on the accounts that are helping you reach your goals.
