Why Millennials Are Better Than You at Social Media (and How You Can Be Them)

Let’s be honest, as much as we try to keep up with trends and be on the cutting edge of social media, it’s hard to be constantly aware of what is popular. There are always new platforms, new jokes, new rules. So, if we want to be truly successful at social media, we can all take a lesson from the true experts: millennials.

While not everyone would want to go back to the confusion and self-searching of your early 20s, a lot of us could afford to go back to class. Social media may not be everyone’s skill set, but it’s not impossible to learn. Though it certainly comes easier to some than others, like anything, practice makes perfect!

Read below about the true social media experts and how, rather than trying to beat ‘em, you can join ‘em.

You got through puberty; you can get through this.

Social media time, all the time.

Okay, maybe it’s best if you’re not on your social media all the time. But it is definitely helpful to set up alerts, alarms, and everything in between for topics that concern you to make it appear that you are.

Google alerts are a thing of beauty. If you take a few days ignoring your page because you’ve got other priorities, those few days can mean an important question goes unanswered or a fire burns on without you knowing you need to put it out.

Technology has come a long way – let it do most of the work for you. Turn on your notifications, queue up posts for the future, and know that even if you do have to put your phone down for a bit, your social media world will keep spinning.

Focus on the “Now”

Social media is always changing, and your strategies need to as well. While it adds to the challenge of being successful at social media to try to keep track of all the moving parts, we can take a lesson from millennials by being prepared to stay focused on the now.

We can learn from old favorites and traditions without needing to keep them around forever. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” doesn’t quite work here. Millennials are great at keeping on the cutting-edge of technology and social media trends because they are less likely to get caught up in traditions and “but we’ve always done it this way!”

Simply put, social media requires an ever-changing, always-adapting strategy. Follow companies you admire and, thought change can be scary, allow yourself to be inspired to start something new.

Actually Interact Within the Platforms

Endlessly scrolling through Facebook may be a good way to kill time while you’re sipping on your morning latte, but not so good if you’re hoping to make a presence for yourself.

Find something to say or create a persona that you can embody – and stick to it. Share pictures of your new office and write posts on any / all of your social media to highlight any glowing reviews you may receive just as often as you respond to comments. If a company you partner with mentions an accomplishment, offer a congratulations. If you come across a news article to do with your business, share it to your page and add some commentary about why it’s relevant.

A lot of social media sites also work as social bookmarking sites, allowing you to not only post to your own page in order to recommend content to followers but also allows you to like and comment on the content. However, the only way to let your followers know what your company likes and recommends is to tell them.

Millennials are great at making sure other people know where they stand. Take a page from their book and don’t be afraid to interact with the sites on which you’re trying to build a persona.

Never be Afraid to Show Off a Good Selfie

No matter how in denial we are about it, selfies require courage to take and post. Being willing to post an insider look at how clean (or not clean) you keep your bathroom in the background of that charming bathroom selfie is admirable.

It’s tough.

But the thing about showing off a good selfie is that it’s an opportunity. Millennials have confidence in the way they present themselves and don’t shy away from showing off their good angles on all their social media. If you want to get those clicks and likes, you need to do the same for your company. Let yourself show off; post your accomplishments and be proud of yourself and all you’re capable of.

Perhaps the hardest part of social media is knowing that whatever you post may be the only impression of your business that a potential customer will get before deciding how they feel about you. Make it easier by knowing that all your best angles are easy to find.

Dream Big.

As we get older, we get a better sense of our own limits and abilities. While this is helpful for setting realistic, attainable goals, it also stops us from reaching those big dreams that once came so easily. Why can’t your page become twitter-famous or your newest post go viral?

We could all take a lesson from millennials when it comes to setting our goals. No matter how we feel about the dreams we had when we were in our twenties, at least we can admit that they were big.

Don’t be afraid to aim high, and to try several different ways before finding what sticks. After all, every long journey toward twitter fame begins with your first step.

If going back to high school isn’t your thing, Contact us at InnoVision today and ask how we can help.