Social media can be a super overwhelming term for a lot of people. There are so many different platforms that exist and ways to communicate with people all over the world. It is hard to sometimes figure out what platforms you want to use. It can also be challenging to know how you want to be make that platform work for you. Lots of people use social media for personal things - staying connected with friends/family, keeping up on celebrities, reading the news, selling things online or learning how to manage their life better. There is also the avenue of using social media as a platform for your profession. No matter what area you work within, you can share things and post about your area of expertise.
If you are reading this blog, you obviously follow my professional social media account, RD Anna. I created this website and account to have a platform to share nutrition information with the public. I wanted to put a little distance between my personal account and my business account. That is what a lot of people are starting to realize that there can be a lot of overlap with social media and you need a game plan to navigate the internet and make that media platform work for you!
I think one of the first steps when it comes to navigating social media is deciding what platforms you want to use. Where do you want to focus your time? I recommend starting with one platform, become familiar with that platform and then branch out from there. Also play around with the different platforms and see what works best for you and what you enjoy using. For example, I tend to enjoy Instagram and people sharing pictures. I like scrolling through my Instagram feed, seeing pictures and reading the captions. I have a Twitter account and I have used Twitter more in the past, but I don’t like to scroll through Twitter. Twitter also is a “faster” platform in my opinion and you can easily miss things because people might be tweeting multiple things throughout the day vs. often posting on Instagram 1-2 times a day at the most. Find a platform you enjoy using and start there.
The next step is to decide what you are going to share. What do you want to share with your audience? Start with your main topic of interest and focus on that. If you are wanting to provide nutrition education, then make sure you are focusing on that content. For example, I have wanted to provide nutrition information, education and encouragement on this platform using my blog. This is a place where you can find evidence-based nutrition information and then also information on my job as a dietitian (getting involved with local and national organizations). Determine what you want to share on your social media platform and stick with that content!
Work to share information in an engaging way. Enjoy the time that you are spending on social media. We have so much competing for our time, make sure that you are creating content that is engaging and that makes you happy. If you aren’t enjoying what you are making, then you wont stick with it and it won’t be good content. Find your niche and share your message with your audience.
I am sharing more on being a Registered Dietitian and using social media next week in Lafayette and at the local Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics meeting. If you are in the area, you should come! If you have any other ways to help make social media work for you, drop those comments, below!