Social Media Rules That Deserve Your Time

When it comes to social media rules, I believe there are a few that absolutely deserve your time and your focus. If you start feeling overwhelmed with social media, these guides will help draw you back in and give you a base from which to move forward.

While there are many social media strategies that can lead to growth, here are six I swear by:

1. Prioritize Engagement Over Views. Vanity metrics are out and meaningful stats are in! Pay attention to how your audience is interacting with you rather than how many views or likes you're getting. Action and sales will most likely come from people who have connected with you - not with people who've simply viewed what you're putting out there.
2. Getting Content Posted Is Better Than Having It Be Perfect. Try not to get hung up on the little details when you're creating content. People want to see you and real life situations. Perfection reads unreal, and oftentimes just getting the content out there grabs people's attention. Oftentimes, our audience won't notice that little bit we see as undone or slightly off. They want to hear what you have to share.
3. Give More Than You Take. Be there for your followers. Don't leave any DMs or comments unanswered and let people know you are accessible. 
4. Take Breaks When You Need Them. Our brains work better when they're fresh. Don't let yourself get bogged down in content creation or engagement without taking breaks! Step away from your screen so that you' have a fresh start when you get back to it. You'll notice you better use your time when you tackle your list in smaller chunks.
5. Show Up As You Are. Hair and makeup don't seem perfect? Try not to worry about it! People want to see you as you are - without filters and in the trenches of your day to day business. Showing up as you helps people connect to who you really are and to what you're about. Your social accounts don't need to be perfect - just be sure they clearly convey who you are.
6. Let Data Drive Your Decisions. The numbers show you where to go. Be sure you're checking your data regularly and noting what works best - content and time wise. Keep track of what's happening with your data so that you can see improvement over time. This will help keep up your motivation (and is just a lot of fun to watch!).

As we move into the year, I hope these social media rules act as guidelines and give you something to think about. If you're looking for more connection when it comes to growing your social media, consider joining the Brandakin Besties Community. As a part of the group, you'll better understand what's trending, learn to implement the latest strategies and have a social media expert on speed dial.