And finally, keep talking and measuring

Social media needs time and consistency to gather momentum.  A lot of companies give up too early on social or get into a poor routine of just posting product pictures or special offers.  It takes time, and you should be looking for your social media to pay you back in years rather than months.  It used to be that there was a difference between how you used social media if you are a business talking to the general public compared to if you are a business selling to other businesses.  Those lines have now mostly been blurred.  People buy from people, not businesses – and they buy the most from people they like and connect with.  This is why your personality and authenticity can shine through on social regardless of if you are talking to a business audience or the general public.

Get into the habit of auditing your own social media page every three months using the same template you used for auditing other company’s social output at the start of this chapter.  Measure how your following has grown and what your average post interaction is now compared to six months ago.  Put this on a chart on your wall or keep it in a spreadsheet so that you know it’s working, it’s growing, that it’s worth the time and effort.  Celebrate when you get to 50 followers, 100 followers, 1,000 followers, 10,000 followers.  Share these milestones with your tribe and let them know you care that they were the first to support you on your journey and you are eternally grateful for them being there.  Get their help in reaching the next one.