Episode 204: Fall Back In Love With Social Media with Katie McKiever
Do you have a love-hate relationship with social media? Today, I want to introduce you to my social media coach Katie McKiever. I think we all know that side of it where everyone’s snarky, everyone’s mean. Katie’s going to walk us through how to deal with that side of it and give us a framework for what to post on social media to be a positive resource.
Katie’s journey to social media consulting
Katie says the most common denominator through her career journey has been people – but more specifically media. She’s worked in radio, print, TV news and as an editor. All of her roles involve connecting with other humans. When social media came along, it was like hitting the jackpot.
Social media meant connecting to people at scale, with the power to hold it in your hands. You can control it, and everybody else can, too, says Katie. It’s a tool to serve your people.
“If we aren’t reaching out to people and telling them our gifts and our passions, we are doing people a disservice,” says Katie. “And this hang up of ‘who am I to share this message? Who am I to be talking about these things? If not you, then who?’”
Katie says if you are deciding what to post on social media from a thought of I, “I don't want to be seen doing this thing. I don't want to be putting myself out there because how is that going to be received?” it’s actually selfish, it's prideful, and it's ego. There is a person on the other end who could actually be helped by you or your business!
Sarah’s ‘selfish’ on social media
Personally, I don’t want to contribute to the noise on social media. Our goal inside of Team Sarah is to be a bright light; so, I don’t want to contribute to negativity or the snark. That’s my personal “selfish” in this.
I hear Katie when she gives the example of “I don’t want to look like that.” I don’t want to be seen as starting small – I think that’s a big one for a lot of people, too. If two people liked your post, you might think it’s embarrassing.
Reframe posting on social media as a service
Katie says mindfulness, purpose and value is where to land when it comes to posting on social media. It’s truly about a sense of service. That’s how you can reframe it for yourself. Every time you go to think of content or what to post ask yourself, “What can I help somebody with today?”
That question puts so much of the best energy into the world and it takes the weight off of you. It’s not about you, it’s about that other person. You don’t have to think of yourself anymore.
It’s an internal process to really own who you are, what you’re doing, and why. It’s who you are and what you represent. Once you can internalize that and command it, you can position yourself out in the world and start posting.
“Once you are ready to command your ownership of your expertise, let's talk about it to other people. And that is online and in-person,” says Katie.
Step into that leadership role and bring people along. Tell them why you are the person to go to for what it is you do. What is your unique angle? Why are you the guide for that person to help them through this thing, this problem that they have? You have to tell other people and you have to own that from a leadership standpoint, or people that are not going to know that they can hire you.
“When you show your passion and you show up in your uniqueness and your gifts, then you're giving people an opportunity to come along for the ride and really shine,” says Katie.
3-2-1 GO Framework for social media
Get ready to plan your three posts for next week. Katie explains you can use these three posts a week consistently for a month with information already in your brain.
Three posts a week
Here are Katie’s three posts to fill your content calendar:
- Post 1: Talk about something you learned. Maybe it’s a book you’re reading, a quote you heard, a podcast you heard. Where this gets strategic is that you tag in the brand or author (if you used one) that you’re talking about. You are then bringing in other audiences.
- Post 2: Something you teach or something you want others to know. This is something that comes from what you or your brand represents. It shows you’re an expert in what you do.
- Post 3: Something you’re proud of. This is strategic because you can humblebrag a bit and show off some things about your business. Remember you always want to lead with value, the other person in mind, and service in mind.
Engagement time
Two times a week, Katie says to block off 15 minutes for engagement time. That’s it, she says, 30 minutes tops. It’s the best way to get started, especially if you are pressed for time.
Now that you’re posting consistently each week, go in and reply to comments – even if it’s just a thanks for posting type sentiment. Then, proactively look on the platform for other people to engage with who might be of interest to you. Get into this rhythm of using social media as a two-way street. It's not just you pumping out content just to pump out content. It's for you to really engage, and things will happen.
When you’re out there as a person, it’s a different experience. It can be warm and inviting; it doesn’t have to be awkward where you’re wondering how you’re being perceived, because it’s a conversation.
One platform
Katie says to avoid overwhelm, be consistent on one platform for one to three months. It doesn’t matter which platform. It’s about building the consistency – the muscle – and exercising it. Get what you do out there in the world. The next step will come after that.
Katie says putting together a thoughtful plan and carrying it through. Then you can follow up where you can see what worked and what didn't with metrics. It’s something everyone can do. Use these social media platforms to reach people and get them to take action.
Free gift for listeners
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