Can you build a business using only social media? Yes! I know because I built a seven-figure health and fitness business using nothing but social media for my marketing efforts. And trust me. I started at zero followers just like everyone else. So, how did I do it, and how can you?
Three major factors to building a business on social media:
1. Consistency – Social media is not something you can do haphazardly. Not if you want to be successful at it. Whether it’s two minutes or two hours, you need to do something for your business every day to build your online presence.
2. Longevity – People that stick with social media on a consistent basis over a long period of time are the people that win at social media. You have to be in this for the long run to be successful.
3. Belief – You need to believe not only in what you do or your product or service, but also in yourself. Remember, the people that you aspire to be like on social media started exactly where you did… from zero.
The bottom line with content is that is should accomplish at least one of these four things: motivate, educate, inspire or entertain.
As a leader, I get so many questions from my team members when they start their social media marketing. Let me share some of the most common questions about business and social media.
Common questions
Q. How do you know if you are creating quality, engaging content?
A. Be authentic. Your followers want to see the real you and see your real story. In most cases, you are sharing your life with your followers. Take them on an authentic journey and show them your true self. Things like filters and location are details. Creating an engaging post is much more important.
A good way to know if you are creating quality content is to see if people are sharing your content. When people share your content to their friends and families, that is the best type of positive feedback and marketing you can hope for.
Q. How do you make your social media channels stand out from the rest?
A. By adding value. A combination of adding value while documenting your story is the best way to stand out from the crowd. People love to see the inside of people’s lives. Remember the TV show Cribs? The best part was seeing inside the celebrity’s refrigerator! Share your true self with your followers, and you’ll create a tribe of people that get you and want to stay up-to-date on your content.
Q. What do you do if your social media numbers plateau?
A. One of the worst things you can do when starting your social media channel is to try and become a watered-down version of someone else you think is successful. You will lose yourself and your message along the way. Your audience will know when you aren’t being yourself. If you’ve created an authentic channel and you see your numbers plateau, consider adding another layer to your content. If your content is simply educational, consider adding a motivation angle or make it more entertaining. Or add a new platform to increase your visibility. Now might be the right time to start that blog you’ve been thinking about, or try Instagram Live for the first time.
When you engage with your audience, it needs to be like you are talking with your BFF. Being authentic on a consistent basis will get those social media numbers moving in the right direction.
Q. What do you do when you get stuck in your social media and can’t seem to get anywhere?
A. First, don’t compare yourself to others. We are all on our own journey. Set your own goals and stick to them. Look at the things that you can control and work on those. Assess how you are doing. What worked, what didn’t, and where can you get better? Give yourself time to succeed. Consistency over a period of time is the greatest gift you can give yourself.
Second, listen to what your audience is saying. Look for the content that has the most positive comments and likes. That is what your audience wants and that’s where you should focus your content.
Q. How do you take one piece of content and use it on various social media platforms?
A. You need to create a content machine with one main cog. For me, that main cog is YouTube. It feeds all the other cogs. By filming one video, I have content for all my other social media platforms. For example, while filming a video, I take a still picture. That becomes the thumbnail and it also becomes an Instagram post. I can also take a couple of clips of the video and that becomes an Instagram or Facebook story. Then, I take some verbiage from the video and that becomes a blog post. That way, one piece of content feeds all my social media platforms.
Q. How can you build an audience if you don’t have any money for marketing or giveaways?
A. Not having money to build your audience is a good thing. Those gimmicks that say they can build you a following don’t build a loyal following. The best way to grow a following is to let people see you through video. YouTube. IGTV. Facebook videos. People want to get to know you, and the best way they can do that is through video. Be your authentic self. Once again, be consistent with what you are posting.
Also, don’t just sit back and wait for people to find you. Go out there and find like-minded people to connect with on social media. Once you have, you can invite them to check out your own social media. By building a community on your own social media pages, you are creating a following that will not only remain loyal to you, but that will encourage their friends and families to check you out as well. And that is how you build a loyal following.
Angie Bellemare has built a hugely successful lifestyle brand and business by helping women (and some men!) achieve their health & fitness goals. Over the past seven and a half years, Bellemare has built the largest Beachbody Team in all of Canada and the 4th largest team worldwide. “Team Uproar” currently has approximately 8,500 coaches. Bellemare has developed much more than a million-dollar plus brand. She has become a successful lifestyle influencer. “Donuts, Dumbbells and Dreams” focuses on helping people “dream grander and smile bigger.”
Bellemare uses YouTube (316,000 followers) and Instagram (nearly 67,000 followers) to share content that encourages people to live their best life, both personally and professionally. Topics featured on these platforms include health and fitness, goal setting and planning, motivation, decorating, routines, work-life balance and her extreme love of all things Disney. Bellemare invites her followers into her own life on these social media platforms, which has resulted in her husband Andre and her dog Carl becoming fan favorites.
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