Before social media first began in the late 1990s and early 2000s, many regarded technology as something only the ultra-geeky gravitated towards. But by 2020, there were over 3.6 billion social media users worldwide, a number that is expected to increase to 4.41 billion in 2025!
And while social media was initially used primarily to stay in touch with friends and family, today it’s become an integral part of business. 
If you’re not leveraging social media to promote your business and
connect with your audiences, you’re missing out! – Kami Huyse
Zoetica founder Kami Huyse knows the power of social media, but regularly sees businesses fail to take advantage of the tools at their disposal. In fact, over the years she’s heard the same basic arguments over and over again.
Argument: I don’t have time or money for social media
- I tried social media and it was a “time suck”
- I just don’t have time to manage social media on top of everything else
Argument: I am new to social media/I’m late to the game
- I have a new business and no prior social media track record
- No one follows me and trying to get an audience from scratch is an uphill battle
Argument: The deck is stacked against me
- I can’t beat social media platform algorithms, no matter how hard I try
- I don’t like the system
Here are Kami’s solutions for overcoming these roadblocks so you can grow your brand and business, which she talked about in her recent livestream.
Maximize the impact of what you do
There is a foolproof way to share content on social media several times a week without running yourself ragged trying to come up with new material every time. You do this by developing a system whereby you take one piece of content and repurpose it.
This is exactly what Kami does for Zoetica Media. Here is the workflow she follows:
- Record a livestream on Thursday mornings
- Translate the livestream into a blog post that’s published on the agency’s website
- Share portions of the livestream on the agency’s various social media accounts
- Send out a newsletter covering the main points of the livestream to the agency’s email list
If you’re just starting out, you can simplify this process by publishing your entire livestream on YouTube rather than segmenting it. Then cross-post the video on your website with a short description, perhaps highlighting the points you want readers to focus on. This will likely take only an hour tops.
Focus on consistency
Social media platforms' algorithms reward two things: publishing consistently over time and having people engage with your content.
For a steady stream of content, it’s smart to repurpose rather than focusing exclusively on original material. Although there’s no magic number for how often you should post, aim for a minimum of two times a week.
And when it comes to engagement, the more you’re out there the more visible you become. This in turn increases the number of opportunities people have to engage with you!
Take advantage of being new
Those new to social media marketing have a golden opportunity to grab the attention of people looking for something different and exciting they can get involved with. Enjoy any attention you receive. You may even go viral!
But keep in mind that with social media, long-term growth is what’s important. A marathon-style approach wins over sprinting every single time.
Put your energy into community building
Once you grab your audience’s attention, focus on building community. Community is what will keep you going in the long run. Without it you risk flaming out.
Always remember: Your overarching goal should be to build a community that knows and trusts you. Once that happens, they’ll be more willing to buy from you or, if you’re a nonprofit, support your cause.
Focus on quality rather than pure numbers
When you’re just starting out, it’s easy to get discouraged by a low or modest follower count.
The truth is, though, that a large follower count isn’t all that important. If you have tens of thousands of followers on social media, but you’re not connecting with them on a deeper level, it’s mere window dressing.
What matters is how many people engage with and ultimately buy from you. Truly understanding the problem of the people you're trying to serve will make them feel heard and understood, which in turn will let them see that you offer a solution to what they need help with.
Don’t let a hatred of social media algorithms stop you
Social media platforms are in the business of constantly trying to increase engagement, which is why they regularly tweak their algorithms. As consultants or small agency owners who depend on social media for their business, this can be maddening.
Realize that if your content isn’t being featured as prominently as you’d like, it's not personal. Learn the rules of the game so you’ll know how to work around them.
These days, for example, video tends to engage people longer, so sharing video on your social media platform increases the amount of time people look at your content. This in turn makes algorithms happy.
Boost engagement by inviting people to interact with you even more. This can be as simple as asking people to like your content or requesting they leave a comment.
So here’s to making social media work for you! 
And if you’re looking for a guaranteed system that can help you engage with your audience and grow the number of people who listen to what you have to say, grab Kami’s FREE email mini-course Build Your Community of Loyal Fans on Social Media.
You only need to invest 15 minutes a day to get super-engaged fans. Just 15 minutes! So get it now. 
