August is a weird month on social media. A lot of creators take time off, and a lot of lurkers become vocal – but what does it look like for your business?
If you want to get to September without feeling like the algorithm hates you, if you want to have a powerful August without spending much time on social media, here are five things you can do today to prepare!
1- Set an Away Message
Did you know that the majority of people expect a reply from a small business on social media within 24 hours? Even if they’ve been following you for a while, even if they’ve been considering working with you for ages, if they don’t hear back from you within 24 hours, they start looking elsewhere.
That’s why Away Messages are so powerful! So what is it?
It’s essentially an automatic reply to anyone who messages you. It allows you to get back to them in seconds to tell them when they can expect a hear from you. It means that rather than thinking that you’ve ignored them, they know you’ll get back to them as soon as possible.
Example of an Away Message:
“Hey there! Thank you for getting in touch. I’m out enjoying the sunshine and not at my desk right now, but I will get back to you as soon as I can. If you’d prefer to get a chat planned in both our diaries, I’d love to grab a virtual coffee with you. Here’s my link: https://calendly.com/ace-of-media/virtual-coffee“
Note. I will be sharing details on HOW to set up away messages in my membership group soon. Check it out!
2- Make your plans known
For some of us, August is our busy period with extended opening hours and no rest. For some of us, August is a month to focus on the kids and spend less time working. For some of us, it’s a month like any other. Either way, your audience needs to know!
When are you open? When are you away?
For me, August is a month like any other, so if you need any social media support, please do get in touch!
3- Pin a salesy post
If you’re wanting to spend less time on social media in August, and therefore be less responsive to any queries, it’s so important to have a salesy post pinned to the top of your page. And yes, I mean a “You can get this, it costs this much, and this is how you buy it” kind of salesy post.
Don’t get me wrong, I know it can feel really icky – that’s why we’re pinning it rather than repeating it!
Note: your salesy pinned post doesn’t have to be your only pinned post. A powerful combination would be:
• An intro post
• The salesy post
• Some free or low-cost offer
4- Schedule some posts
Whatever August looks like for you, it’s so easy to let posting on social media fall off your to-do list. That’s why I always recommend scheduling some posts! And I don’t mean you have to schedule 30 posts to go out in August. But if you already know that your essential messages are going out, you’re giving yourself permission to not make posting a priority.
Remember that all your followers are at different points in their journey, and you need to talk to them all. Check out this blog for seven post ideas!
5- Make a plan
The most important step in getting your social media ready for the summer is to set yourself realistic and achievable goals. Know your limits, consider your other commitments and respect your own boundaries. It’s OK to enjoy some time off without feeling guilty!
For just £5, I can send you up to 31 small tasks so you can make the most out of the time you spend on your social media marketing.
I help passionate small business owners with their social media so that they can create a powerful and supportive space to promote their business.
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