Staying enlightened about social media is essential for anyone looking to build their career, business, or brand. Social media was once mainly just for fun but now it is a critical part of most people’s daily lives. For dancers, artists, & athletes, using social media to market yourself & your work can open a world of opportunities & jobs you might not have had the chance to receive without it! I am so grateful for all of the opportunities social media has provided for me: ambassadorships, scholarships, new friends, inspiration & motivation!

There are a lot of negative correlations with social media, and some people believe that it has nothing valuable to offer. That is completely false! While is does have it’s cons, there are so many benefits if you use it correctly!

How to Use Social Media the Right Way (2)

How can I get started on social media & use it beneficially?

 Determine your goals. What do you want to achieve out of this? Always keep your goals in mind so you can keep track of your progress.

Start small & be selective with your platforms. Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest – the list of options goes on. Choose one or two sites to start out on – Instagram is a great starting platform.

Find your target audience. The dance community, acting community, gymnastics, singing, writing, drawing, etc.

Find your niche & know your audience. You also need to find out what your audience wants to see from you so you can put out content that they find useful & enjoy!

Come up with a meaningful handle. What’s in a name? You’re going to want one that is catchy, memorable, and that people will recognize across all of your social media platforms. Maybe it’s just your companies name, (example: Discount Dance @discountdance) or it might be something a it more elaborate (example: @instagramfordancers) which lets people know it’s an account for dancers, or if you want to be known by just your name (example: Maddie Ziegler @maddieziegler).

Be authentic, positive, and personable. You make friends & earn followers by being authentic & nice. People don’t want to follow a brand or person whose social presence is rigid and unpleasant. Interact with people kindly and develop a personality, people always appreciate that & the following will come. Leaving nice comments on people’s posts & and talking with other people in your community will make a big difference. Keep this in mind as you are posting online.

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Develop your content style & mix it up regularly. What type of content are you planning on posting? How often will you post? Think of content that will be engaging for your viewers, keeping them coming back for more. Map out a plan of what days & times you plan on posting so your followers can regularly expect content and engage with it.

Keep learning. You can never stop listening & learning from others around you and your viewers.  For a successful social media platform, you need to be flexible and able to adapt to the ever changing online culture. Never give up, & I wish you all the success with your social media endeavors!