3 Common Social Media Frustrations for Business Owners

The social media of today looks very different from the social media of yesterday. The most senior social platform is just barely 15 years old (that honor goes to LinkedIn, founded in 2003), which makes social media on the whole relatively new.  Yet in those 15 years, so much has happened. This change has resulted in common social media frustrations from many business owners and professionals.

Facebook continues to dominate social media usage with 79% of online adults using Facebook, and almost all of them are daily visitors. Twitter no longer limits users to 140 characters (who would have thought we’d see the day) and LinkedIn now offers courses and classes through Linkedin Learning.

So how do you keep up with it all? We know it’s not easy, so we’ve tackled three of the common social media frustrations that we hear.

1. I don’t know how to write blogs or create content to share.

Generating original content is the ideal way to position yourself as an authority in your field, but, sometimes when you sit down to make it happen…it doesn’t.

The good news is creating content doesn’t have to take all day. It can be as simple as snapping a picture and sharing a few words. Ask your Twitter followers a question every Monday morning. Use that question to inspire a future blog post. Share a LinkedIn post from an influencer that you admire with a short caption why you think your audience may enjoy the article.

–> But be warned! Don’t turn into a retweeting robot. Yes, there are tons of prolific social media users and plenty of content out there, but it’s important to make sure your voice and brand are consistent in what you write and share to your audience, and that means some original words and content from you.

2. There are so many social media platforms out there. What do I really need?

Feeling overwhelmed is one of the more common social media frustrations. One way to help is to focus on “The Big Three:” Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. 69% of adults use some kind of social media, so at the very minimum, you’ve got to be present.

These platforms have incredible reach and are part of most people’s everyday lives. That means clients and potential clients are expecting to find you there. After you get the hang of posting and interacting with your audience on these sites, you can look at other sites that may complement your business, such as Instagram, Pinterest, or YouTube.

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3. Social media takes too much time.

Social media does require time, but spending hours a day on Facebook and Twitter is not required. Start small.

Set a calendar reminder for twice a day, perhaps mid-morning and mid-afternoon, that reminds you to check Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Once you’re on those sites, have a quick checklist you review for each, such as liking and commenting on two Facebook posts, finding two accounts to follow on Twitter, and sending an invitation to connect on LinkedIn with someone you recently met.

You won’t want to repeat these exact steps every day, so mix these ideas in with a few more and your social media time will be used more effectively than scrolling around indefinitely.

If these common social media frustrations sound all too familiar, we can help. OutboundEngine helps businesses deliver the right message at the right time with less effort. Check out our 100% done for you software and see how it can benefit your business.