FAQ: Which platforms should I be on?

You don’t need to be on ALL THE THINGS.

This is, without a doubt, the question I hear most frequently.

The pressure of being on ALL the platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, and whatever else the kids are using these days) is part of what makes social media seem so daunting for many busy small business owners - not to mention casual everyday users!

But don’t worry - you don’t need to be everywhere.

…or, if you’re more of a reader:

Christine Gritmon Inc. 3/1/18 Christine Gritmon Inc. 3/1/18

#MidweekMinute (sorry, no video!)

Facebook metrics, news subscriptions, jobs, facial recognition opt-out, & streaming music rumor; Facebook Messenger friend adds & chat plug-in; Twitter limits automated tweets; YouTube adds tagging, captioning, & chat replay.

Facebook simplifies ad metrics, encourages local news subscriptions, posts local job offerings across the socioeconomic spectrum, allows users to opt-out of facial recognition, & considers entering streaming music market; Facebook Messenger allows users to add friends during calls & creates a customer chat plug-in for business; Twitter limits automated tweets from multiple accounts; YouTube adds location tagging, automatic captioning, & chat replay.

(No video this week, since I was too preoccupied at #SMMW18 to pull it together!)

Christine Gritmon Inc. 10/13/17 Christine Gritmon Inc. 10/13/17

Social: Jason Bay on nurturing LinkedIn relationships

Jason Bay of Jason Bay Consulting discusses using LinkedIn to nurture business relationships.

I'm part of too damn many Facebook groups, most of them local. But when I heard about the by-application-only Badass Marketers & Founders (BAMF) group, I knew I had to go for it. Part of the group's value is in the connections: everyone involved is legit. That's how Jason Bay found me (especially after I was spotlighted as one of the group's most active members), and connected with me on LinkedIn. And, lo and behold, here he is on my livestream, telling us all about how to strategically connect with the right people, then develop and nurture relationships on LinkedIn!

Just a few of Jason's great tips:

Fill out your profile - especially the picture and the summary.
Don't worry about being on every platform. Be on the platform where the people you want to connect with are. (Jason's work is B-to-B, so LinkedIn works for him.)
Groups can be a great source to mine for relevant connections.
Include a personalized message when you try to connect with someone; give them context, don't leave it blank.
Add value! Make sure people are getting something out of being connected to you.

Christine Gritmon Inc. 10/12/17 Christine Gritmon Inc. 10/12/17

#MidweekMinute 10/11/17

Permanent away message for AIM; Facebook guarding against fake news; Shopify bringing eCommerce to Instagram; Instagram Stories and Facebook Stories allow cross-posting; Snapchat introduces user verification and location context cards