Social media is an area of marketing many small businesses struggle with. For some, it’s the overwhelm of it all, whilst for others, it’s knowing how to effectively use it in their business. But no matter what the reason for your struggles, you need to stop lurking on social media and get on with using it as an effective marketing tool for your VA business!

Social media isn’t a spectator sport

You didn’t join social media to be a spectator and, unless you only created a personal profile to simply stay in touch with your family and friends, you’re going to need to get involved, if you want to reap the benefits of using it for your business. 

All businesses need to have at least a Facebook page (using your personal profile for business purposes is against Facebook’s terms of service) and, if you have a page, you will want followers who are interested in what you do. But if you want to attract those followers, you need to be giving them a reason to stick around – and that means posting and engaging with them.

And I’m sure I’m not the only Facebook group owner on the platform, who sees people joining my group, only to never interact. So if you’re one of those people, start getting involved! Not only is this being a spectator not helping you, but as the group facilitator, it also upsets me. Groups are created to become a thriving community of support and help to others. If you’re not taking a part in that group, you’re missing out on the chance of building a network or supportive, like minded and helpful people around you – people who want you to succeed in your VA business. 

If you want to stay in business, you need to master marketing – and that includes social media

Your business success largely depends on the networks and relationships you build. Both offline and online relationships are important, which is why so many networking opportunities are open to business owners. 

Marketing doesn’t have to mean constantly promoting your business. You need to consistently be visible and clarify what you’re about, in order to grow relationships – and for many offline networking opportunities that are available to you, this is a slow process. But social media has opened the entire world to you. It gives you the ideal platform to market to anyone, anywhere, and at any time – if you’re prepared to master it. 

How to stop lurking and start getting involved on social media

Social media gives you one of the easiest and most effective ways of marketing your business. But if you’re lurking on social media and not getting involved, there’s no point you being on there for business. 

It gives you the opportunity to get involved and work on building relationships, raising your visibility and brand awareness, as well as showcasing your skills and services. But in order to do those things, you need to stop lurking and get visible! You need to be introducing yourself and your business, showing up on a regular basis, and sharing value with your intended audience. 

So here’s 7 tips to help you stop lurking and start growing your business on social media.

#1: Know why you’re on social media 

You didn’t join social media just to get more followers – you want something else. So decide whether that’s to build connections, get more sales, grow leads, connect with new work buddies or like minded people, or something else.

#2: Set up a strategy that works for you 

Have a strategy in place that works for you. That could involve having 3-5 groups that are your main focus, interacting daily with a set amount of people or a set a time limit (20-30 minutes), or to start a conversation with 2 new people every day. 

[Need help with your social media strategy? Check out Social media strategy – review, reflect and revisit!]

#3: Always focus on sharing value 

If you’re worried about setting or feel a little self conscious about being online, focus instead, on being helpful and knowledgeable. This will take away the pressure and ensure you’re always client focused.

[Need help focusing at the moment Check out How to end summer overwhelm and regain focus.]

#4: Share your knowledge

Never underestimate what you know and how useful it is. Get comfortable with sharing tips and knowledge with your audience. Head into groups and see what questions you can offer answers to, and share resources that can help your ideal clients with a problem they may have.

#5: Remember relationships take time 

Whether they’re on or off line, relationships take time to build. Join groups that will give you the support and space to build relationships, take time to become visible on your page and in groups, so you can get known and recognised as the go-to person in your niche. [Social Sprout has a great article on how to build customer relationships on social media – you can check it out here.]

#6: Make groups work for you 

Use them as a safe space to connect with others, be seen as an expert, and grow your own confidence. Share valuable information, share your success stories, answer questions and remind people of what you do – and always have a call to action that encourages interaction. Most groups either don’t allow self promotion, so look to share your story, as well as testimonials and client successes, in a way that helps others in the group.

#7: Share who you are and what you’re about

Social media gives you the perfect opportunity to share your story as well as the story of your business. If you want people to connect with you, your story is the way to do that – so share what you do, who you are, what you’re proud of and why you do what you do.

[If you need with this, check out both How to play to your strengths as a VA and Don’t forget to share your personality on social media]

Social media is an area of marketing many VAs struggle with, but it is a crucial part of your overall business marketing strategy. It’s something you need to master, and the tips above will help, but ultimately you just need to stop lurking and start getting involved, if you want your business to benefit and grow.

If you’re looking to get support whilst you’re growing your VA business, why not check out the VA Membership? It has an active Facebook group that you can join, that will give you a safe and supportive environment to work on your social media skills, plus you’ll get access to training and support to help your VA business grow and thrive – so why not head on over to the sales page and take a further look at everything you’ll get, when you join this affordable membership!