Social Skills
By Stacy M. Menz, PT, DPT, PCS
Social media . . . we all have a response to it, whether we embrace it, try to ignore it, or dabble in it. Regardless of your feeling, it is here to stay. What did we do before it existed? I know I am guilty of looking at my phone whenever I have “downtime.” I make a quick scan through my accounts, and if something catches my eye, I will note it to look at more closely later, or if I have time, I will investigate further right then and there. I have definitely clicked through on sponsored content, or on a picture or video that caught my eye, or an interesting headline. Yes, I have been a consumer as a result of social media. Who else is with me?
Since most of us have made a consumer decision that has been helped along by social media, is it safe to assume that most of us are using, or attempting to use, social media to help our businesses grow and gain brand recognition? The problem is, if you are like me, you may or may not have a plan for how you are using it . . . or even realize you are using it. I’ll admit, my plan has become clearer and more defined in the last year or so, but I have also been guilty of randomly posting things that catch my interest, on whatever platform I feel is easiest for me to access at that moment. This is evidence that I am not consistently following a specific plan or strategy with use of social media in my practice.
Over time I have become more strategic with the content I am posting, the sites I am posting to, the times I am posting, when I am paying for placement, and who my target audience is. As a result I have noticed increases in not only views and click-throughs, but also direct referrals that have translated into customers. My social media and marketing strategies are a work in progress, but I have been implementing them enough now to be able to collect meaningful data. I still need to work on consistency in my strategy, but I have been excited to see that what I am doing has translated into measurable results!
This issue of Impact magazine contains great ideas for how to start, boost, refine, and enhance your business’s social media presence. Take a moment and let us know (on social media, of course) what tips you have taken away, or what other tips you have to offer.
