Spread too thin over social media?

I know how hard it is to manage a business. Besides all the work around clients - bookings, contracts, invoicing, shooting, editing, marketing etc, we also have to keep our website updated, blog often, and manage our social media presence. 

If you feel overwhelmed with it all, you're not alone. Here is a newsflash:

You don't have to be on every platform.

You may already know this but need someone to tell you again. Pick a few that you like, and you can see yourself updating often. For me, I chose Facebook and Instagram as my main ones, with Pinterest as a distant third that I update about every few months . If I have a really great presence on a few, that's much better than a half-assed effort on many. I tried Twitter, but I could never get into it. So I stopped using it. You also don't want to spend an abnormal amount of time on social media relative to other marketing efforts, so that also plays a factor in where you choose to place your focus.

Which platforms should you choose?

Some platforms may lend themselves better to photography strategically-speaking. While you should remain mindful of that, my perspective is that the ability to keep them updated trumps that. If you're not motivated, then despite you telling yourself you need to be on a particular platform, your lack of effort will reflect. Sometimes going with the heart versus the brain has a Gestalt effect - a result bigger than the sum of its parts. You may realize IG is a natural spot for photographers, but if you find posting there the equivalent of drowning in quicksand, it will show. On the other hand, Twitter may not have the same ability to display photos, but if you're a rockstar at 140 characters, this will override the shortcomings and can give you out-of-the-park results for your business. Engagement and action are the key words when it comes to social media, so if you're not doing that consistently, then that social media piece isn't fulfilling its destiny. It's ok to (guilt-free), decide to let it go. It's a good idea to give your business a good reflection about once a year, so you can always revisit if you may want to add another platform, or decide one isn't working for you.

Of course, if you feel that part of your strategy is to be in as many places as you can, there are tools like Hootsuite that help aggregate and manage your social media presence. If that works for you, then great! This post is just to remind you that you don't have to do it all, as we sometimes feel that pressure. 

Are you spread too thin on your social media? Tell me in comments what's worked for you.

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