by Jeanne Takenaka, @JeanneTakenaka 
How many of us love taking time to learn social media and how to do it without falling into the deep well each platform can become?
Raise your hands!
Hmmm, no hands waving?
Mine isn’t either.
I’m not a pro when it comes to social media, just a girl who is intentional about learning how to use some of the platforms effectively. I’ve focused on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
I assume you’ve done your homework and determined where your audience hangs out in social media land. I plan to write a few posts in the coming months about how to interact on some platforms. But first, let’s evaluate our mindsets when interacting with social media:
5 Mindsets About Social Media:
- It’s essential to understand the nuances of each social media platform. To a certain degree, all focus on building relationships. Twitter is known for quickly dispersing current news. Facebook promotes Facebook live videos far more than posts with pictures or (worst of all) only words. Instagram is about the visual, and more recently, reels. Instagram places a strong emphasis on encouraging authentic relationships. This means posting a “Buy my book!” will not be considered “valuable” by Instagram, so it won’t receive as much engagement.
- Define your audience. This is crucial. This helps you determine the kinds of posts that will resonate.
- Determine your goals for why you’re on that platform. And then create posts that will help you meet that goal. Hint: we all want followers, but don’t make that your primary goal. A better goal might be to develop engaged followers. Likes are a factor of how strong your post is, but not the only indicator. Figure out specific goals. Research how to get there, and then do the work.
Remember: Growth takes time. Give yourself grace if you don’t grow as quickly as you’d like.
- If you’re not sure what posts your audience likes, try different kinds. When I’m on Instagram, I get tons (for me) of likes on selfies and pics of my sons as well as on certain photographs. But other photos I’m certain people will flock to die a quiet death at the bottom of the scroll page.
You’ll need to experiment. Use your natural gifting. If you’re funny, post humorous things. If you enjoy quotes, create quote posts (and try different things, like quotes on a photograph background or quotes on a solid-colored background). Play around. When you discover what your audience likes, create posts that are a blend of your brand plus follower preferences.
- Most importantly, remember who defines you. Hint: It’s not your numbers—either likes or followers. God defines who we are. When we permit numbers to define our worth, we’ll always be on an emotional roller coaster.
As we develop social media chops, we can go from loathing to liking the opportunities various platforms offer for engaging and meeting readers.
I’m excited to share nitty-gritty tips and suggestions in future posts. Until next time!
Award-winning aspiring novelist, Jeanne Takenaka, writes contemporary inspirational fiction that tackles real-life issues with a heart to draw women closer to God and those around them. She lives near the mountains in Colorado with her amazing husband and two exuberant boy-men. She loves being God’s girl—always learning about His grace, hanging out with friends and enjoying a great cup of coffee. When she’s not writing you can find her with a camera in her hand, looking for #alittlebitofpretty in her days. You can connect with her on her website, on Facebook, and on Twitter.