Despite your best intentions, it’s likely that the summer months have witnessed a certain softening of standards: maybe you didn’t quite stick to the healthy eating and exercise plan, maybe Wine O’clock came back from holiday with you, settling into your summer routine as if it was part of the family; and maybe you neglected your social media a bit. OK, maybe you neglected it A LOT.
Well, that’s OK. There’s no need to panic or beat yourself up about it; and there’s nothing to be gained from brushing it further under the carpet either. What’s needed now is action; in the wonderful words of Arthur Ashe:
Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can
Where are you?
So, your first step is to find out exactly where you are, and this can be done by looking at the figures. Think of it as a social media stock-take. Tracking your social media will help you to identify what’s working and what’s not. Are you attracting enough followers? If so, are they the right followers? If you’re confident that you’re reaching the right customers but they aren’t buying, then what aren’t you giving them that would convert their interest and attention into sales?
What do you have?
Before you have a panic attack about trying to come up with ideas and find the time to write a whole batch of new content to get back on track, consider the benefits of repurposing content. As Derek Halpern of Social Triggers explains, “You don’t have to create content day in and day out. You just have to work on getting the content you already have in the hands of more people.” So give yourself a break and take a look through your archives; look for your most popular posts and blogs – maybe add something new or a fresh twist, create a presentation or an infographic with the material, or simply refresh and republish old posts to give them a new lease of life and gain a new audience.
What can you do?
The chances are that your “to-do” list is as long as your arm right now, so many things have been on hold, postponed or simply ignored over the summer that suddenly facing it all can feel overwhelming. The temptation might be to keep pushing your social media to the back of the queue while you deal with more pressing matters. But really, you just need to do what you can…the important thing is to do SOMETHING! Take immediate steps, however small, to get back in the game, and then make the time to carefully consider and plan where you want to go from here.
Take stock of where you are, look at what you have to hand, and take some action. It needn’t take long, but these 3 steps will give you a good understanding of where you’re at and where you need to go. They will help to get you back on track and focused on moving forward. To help you get your social media organised and to plan ahead, download my free Back to School Bundle (including your Social Media Stocktake, Content Planner and Social Media Planner)
