I am from the business generation that was taught that having social media accounts on the “Big” brands was something we all had to do and make sure that we were active on them.
I have been to many talks given by people who have promoted this over the years; we were taught to use software that allowed us to post to multiple channels at predetermined times. So essentially making people think that we were active I guess?
Things seemed to be ok for a while; you gained people who were interested in what you had to promote and what you said. Then things started to change. In the area of health in particular, there appear to have been a number of medics who were promoting the benefits of drugs and refuting claims that people could improve health issues by doing simple things such as exercise and eating the correct types of food. A prime example would be the work of Prof Roy Taylor at Newcastle University in England who was able to reverse symptoms of type 2 diabetes by asking people to follow a specific diet he had devised.
Many topics were becoming points of heated words; no one was debating and a few accounts were gaining popularity simply by their ability to be vocal.
And let’s face it: in a world where most of us are pressed for time, do you really think that many people are going to be able to find you in the many thousands of other accounts in your sector of the industry?
Sam Harris, renown neuroscientist, philosopher and authors has deleted his account on one social media saying people were becoming psychopaths on it. I believe he is quoted to have said that the platform had became a monster ready to create disaster and bad news; full of death, gender debates, politics, etc.
https://www.samharris.org/podcasts/making-sense-episodes/304-why-i-left-twitter
If you choose to have a social media account these days, i think it’s best to pick one that is best suited for your line of business. If you’re making jewellery, Instagram would seem good because you can post lots of pictures. If you are a physical trainer, then maybe youtube would be better so you can record little freebies and chats about fitness. This allows people to see what you are about and gives them a better feel for whether they would like to engage with your business.
By all means, secure the accounts for your brand on the other social media platforms to avoid confusion and cyber squatting by other people, but focus on the ones that allow you to show your business in the best light.
You can post links for your social media here which allows people to both give you feedback and also comment directly on your channel. This way you benefit not only from the suggestions, but the additional reach and share that this community can give you.
