One thing I often notice when spending time reading articles from social media “influencers” is the sheer volume of content they produce on a daily basis. Frankly, it can be rather intimidating for those new marketing or communicating via social media.
“I simply don’t have the time to do that” is the comment I hear often by friends, colleagues and clients who are making an initial foray into social media and are taken aback by the seemingly endless volume of posts, tweets, photos and videos being produced these online celebrities.
But I’m here to tell you they are the deviation, not you. Looking at the stats, the average user on Facebook, Twitter, etc produces far less content than these power users. Here are just a few of those stats for you to chew on:
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- The average Twitter user tweets less than once a day (.47 to be exact). By contrast, social media luminary Chris Brogan tweets an average of 49.9 times a day. Maclean’s reporter Kady O’Malley tweets 40.2 times a day;
- Only 15% of Facebook users update their status once a day. 56% of users update it once a week;
- Less than a quarter of Facebook pages (23%) have more than 1,000 “likes”. Only 4% have more than 10,000;
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What do you take away from all of this?
Firstly, don’t feel intimidated by the “gurus” that seemingly live on Twitter and post to their Google+ account 12 times a day. It is much more about quality of your content rather than the quantity. Post when you have something to say. Share content that you believe is valuable to your customers or your audience. Don’t be pressured to post garbage simply to fill a quota.
Second, it takes only a little extra focus to rise above the average. Set a schedule for writing a blog post, tweeting or posting to Facebook. And make sure you stick to it. I have certainly been guilty of neglecting my blog and Facebook profile when things get busy with clients (and life). But if you set a time to write content in advance, it will be much easier to fit it into your schedule. It will quickly become a habit.
Finding a pace and routine that works for you and your business will ensure your audience gets added value by connecting with your brand or organization online. That in turn will keep you top of mind when the time comes to think about a sale, a contract or a similar opportunity. That is where the true value – and your hard work – becomes apparent.