Social Media is an ever evolving beast and from year to year we evolve in the ways we use it

It’s one of the things I love about Social Media – every day is an education and we simply roll with the changes

Here’s How I Changed The Way I Used Social Media In 2018

1. Drilling Down On LinkedIn
I’ve used LinkedIn since I started Altrincham HQ

But at the start of 2017 something changed with it

LinkedInLocal made the place a whole lot more human, more conversational and more interesting

It went from a place when it was link share after link share to a place you could have meaningful conversations with people who care about their business

Depending on which article you read it will quote anything from 5% to 50% of LinkedIn users being monthly active users, so whilst some people will set up a LinkedIn profile and do little else with it apart from accept connection requests – those that are active, keen to grow their business keen to engage

Key Takeaway: Learn how to use LinkedIn how people use it in 2018/19 and learn how get real ROI from LinkedIn long term

2. Used Twitter Less / Facebook became more important

We all have limited time to use social media. Even social media managers

With needing to find more time for LinkedIn something had to give and despite Twitter still bringing huge amounts of business I felt a shift in time from Twitter to LinkedIn was needed

That combined with that fact that whilst Twitter is still growing, Facebook was an area I felt we needed to grow more in 2018

So when it came to news we became Facebook 1st as opposed to Twitter 1st, as the reaction from our audience was dictating this

A similar post (posted natively and inline with each platform) would often perform 8 times better on Facebook than Twitter

Twitter as much as we love it for conversations was becoming far too noisy (and this was backed up with data over Christmas that when twitter was quieter you could reach double the audience)

Even business blogs would perform better on Facebook and were massively enhanced by a number of active Facebook groups we’re part of

Key Takeaway: Look at what areas have the strongest potential for growth, whilst still tending to strong performing platforms over years

3. Fell In Love With Instagram Stories
In many way I fell in love with Instagram stories in the same way I fell in love with periscope when it first launched

The instantaneous temporary nature of them meant for real time tips and authentic storytelling

And the big improvement with Instagram – there was still a sizeable audience

Instagram stories usage is growing faster than the main Instagram feed and it’s the feature than Instagram stole from snapchat and then used it to destroy snapchat month by month

Features such as questions and polls have made it a place to be

It feels fun

Key Takeaway: Experiment with Instagram stories – it’s where you’ll find your feet to launch more permanent video content

4. Muted Politics
I work in Social Media and sometimes logging into Social Media can be hard

Within minutes on social media you can change from a positive mind-set to the verge of a breakdown

I grew up a fan of The Clash, Public Enemy and the Manic Street Preachers and have an interest in politics

But politics is toxic from the left to the right and is more ego driven than ever before. Social media amplifies the hate

Even when there is a message of hope, the comments beneath the message of hope are full of hate and bile

So in 2018 I muted accounts that went on political rants. I muted the words Brexit and Trump. I unfollowed or muted local political accounts who felt that attacking and bullying political opponents in the middle of the night was fair game

I basically tuned out of anything that didn’t made me happy and focused on the things that made me happy

Key Takeaway: Use the block, unfollow and mute buttons wisely – social media can bring people together or it can tear people apart. Use it to enhance your business and your life

5. Joined Niche Facebook Groups
In 2018 I rediscovered a social media for personal use as well as business

I’d never really used social media that much apart from business

When you spend your working day on social media the last thing you want to do is scroll through Facebook for 2 hours like the average 9-5’er

But 2018 was the year Facebook groups grew and I found several groups based around my interest in Vegan food and running that really sparked my interest

There was a shared sense of community and it made social media fun rather than a tool to make money

In many ways these groupd have enhanced my life so much in 2018

Key Takeway: Drill down in your personal interests and if there isn’t a Facebook group for your interests – set one up and go find your tribe

NEED HELP WITH YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA?
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Please call Alex on 07806774279 or email alex@altrinchamhq.co.uk

Alex

Alex McCann is owner of Altrincham HQ – a social media management and training company based in Altrincham, Cheshire that has worked with 100s of local business developing their social media strategy. Alex has 400+ LinkedIn testimonials and is ranked number 1 for Social Media Marketing in the UK via independent customer reviews on Freeindex.