Part of the reason why social media is so fascinating is because it’s constantly changing. It’s also one of the reasons why it’s so annoying.
At this point in my online business journey, I simply laugh whenever new social media changes come about. Like when Instagram launched IG stories to Snapchat’s dismay. Or even more recently when Facebook decided to make their own stories feature. At this point, the only constant in this field is change and I tend to enjoy it.
However, I know not everyone enjoys constant social media changes. I get that it can be difficult to keep up with. It’s also extremely frustrating whenever there’s a new social media channel or new tool that you now have to learn. Or when Facebook and Instagram change their algorithms and you basically need to learn new ways to engage with your already existing audience.
I used to get frustrated too, but I’ve learned to get over that. Here are some of the ways you can deal with constant social media changes – and dare I say possibly enjoy them.
Focus on the long game.
Part of the reason why constant social media changes are so frustrating is because there’s always a new kid on the block. Then everyone jumps to the new kid and then a few months later it’s gone.
Just look at Vine which is no more. Or Periscope which is being creamed by Facebook Live. Or even Snapchat. Even though Snapchat has a loyal user base, it’s probably only a matter of time before all things Facebook finish killing it off.
That’s why I tell people to focus on the long game. In my view that looks like the heavy hitters like Facebook and Instagram. Instagram is owned by Facebook anyway so I know it’s not going anywhere. And while Twitter is having some financial trouble, it’s probably not going anywhere either.
And let’s not forget Pinterest. There’s pretty much nothing out there like Pinterest and it’s already proven to be a game changer for my business.
Now, this doesn’t mean I haven’t jumped on trends. I certainly jumped on the Periscope train and took advantage of it while I could. It just means I know when to give up on a new platform and go back to what I know works.
Focus on what works for your business.
Speaking of focusing on platforms that I know work for my business, that’s actually another one of my tips for dealing with constant social media changes.
For example, Pinterest is a heavy traffic driver for my website. This means I get more email leads, increase ad revenue and increase affiliate revenue so naturally, I’m going to focus some effort (and money) there.
Instagram and Facebook are also major drivers of traffic for me. My Instagram followers in particular convert really well when trying to build my list so I make sure to also spend some time and money there.
And finally, Facebook ads are so cheap and effective that of course I’m going to use them. Unfortunately, I’m currently in the process of figuring this out so I can’t give you too much to work with here – yet. However, I do know they are solid for automating sales funnels and building lists.
So how do you figure out what works for your business? By experimenting. I also recommend keeping your ear on the ground to find out what working for other people, particularly those in your field. The last thing you need to do with social media is try to reinvent the wheel.
Focus on converting social media followers into email subscribers.
Because there are constant social media changes to deal with, you should always be focusing on converting your social media followers into email subscribers.
Snapchat could go away tomorrow, but if you did your due diligence in converting followers into email subscribers, then you’ll be fine. The reason is because all your social media channels could go down – even your website could go down – but you still have a list of emails to market to.
Here are some of the effective strategies I’ve used to convert social media followers into email subscribers:
- Hosting a free webinar and announcing it on my most engaged platforms (Facebook and Instagram)
- Offering something like a free worksheet to social media followers.
- Running Facebook ads for list building. (I’m still learning about this but so far so good.)
- Using Facebook Live to teach business lessons and then encourage people to opt in to my list with a free worksheet.
The key to doing this effectively is to know your market. For example, I know what copy to use on Instagram to move my followers enough to sign up for a free webinar I’m teaching. I also know what kind of content I need to be covering on live video.
Ask for help.
When it comes to constant social media changes, sometimes you’re better off asking for help. That’s what I did recently when I was trying to learn about Facebook ads.
After trying on my own and failing miserably, I decided to start asking around to see if any of my colleagues had resources on the subject. It turns out one of them knew about an excellent free workshop on the topic and another offered to get on the phone with me to share some of his knowledge.
Sometimes asking for help may also look like hiring someone to help. This is what I recently did for Pinterest. While I was getting results with Pinterest, I started having a hard time keeping up with it’s recent social media changes. I also didn’t have the time to do everything Pinterest requires, so I hired someone to do it for me.
Final Thoughts: See it as a game.
If there’s any redeeming quality about social media changes its that you’ll never be bored. Once I started seeing social media as a game I now had to figure out, I actually started to kind of enjoy it.
It also helps that I’m generally fascinated by how to connect with people using social media. If you’re able to look at it from this perspective, then the constant changes don’t seem so bad.
