Concern # 1 : I don ’ t have the time . “ I know some people will say that they don ’ t have that much time , but I think everyone could allocate 15 minutes a day to post something , especially if they see that it brings people in to shop and creates community and shopper loyalty ,” Donna says . “ People like to buy from people they know .”
People like to buy from people they know
Typically , Donna will spend an hour a day on social media . That includes creating content for and posting on Facebook and Instagram multiple times a day and on TikTok two to three times a week , updating her store ’ s Google business listing with photos a few times a month and responding to customer questions and comments . To help make the most of her time , she has been working on developing a social media plan and scheduling posts in advance .
Concern # 2 : I don ’ t know what to say . According to Donna , ChatGPT has been her go-to , time-saving resource . ChatGPT stands for “ Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer ,” and it ’ s a chatbot that uses artificial intelligence to help automate tasks . “ This has been my game changer lately ,” Donna says . When she gets bogged down on captions , copy or visuals for social media , she uses ChatGPT to ask questions , such as : How do I describe my ideal customer ? And what kind of info or posts would be great to reach them on the different social media platforms ?
Donna says she has also asked for scripts and a devotional reading based on her “ Monday Motivation ” Facebook Live . You can even ask it to give you post ideas for a week . “ There are so many ways it can assist in social media planning and creating ,” she explains . “ The more specific you are in your questions , the better your responses will be .”
Concern # 3 : I don ’ t know which platform to use . The two most popular platforms right now are YouTube and Instagram . But social media is constantly changing , and Donna says each platform has a different demographic . According to Donna , Facebook users are typically 45 – 65 years old , Instagram users are 35 – 55 years old and TikTok users are mostly 18 – 25 years old . Content on Facebook and Instagram can be similar , but TikTok should be “ short and sweet ,” Donna says . To navigate this everchanging landscape , it ’ s important to find out where your store ’ s audience is . For Dove Christian Supply , they have the most followers on Facebook , followed by Instagram .
Finally , if you ’ re unfamiliar with social media or unsure of where to start , Donna offers three tips .
1 . Set up your social media accounts as business pages or business profiles , rather than personal . Donna says you can connect Facebook and Instagram to save time in auto posting and switch between your personal profile and business page to keep it separate .
2 . Be consistent . Donna suggests deciding how often you are going to post and sticking to it . Of course , the more you post , the more responses you get from people . “ My main recommendation would be to just get on social media or get someone in the store on social media who will just show up ,” she says . “ Don ’ t be afraid of technology or say you ’ re too old or don ’ t have time .”
3 . Go live on Facebook . Facebook Live has been the biggest tool to grow her store ’ s page . According to Donna , people look forward to her weekly “ Monday Motivation ,” which is an early morning devotional , and “ What ’ s New Wednesday ,” where she shows new products that have arrived .
“ I ’ m always open to trying new things ,” Donna says . “ I realize that we can ’ t always do business the way we ’ ve always done business and expect to stay in business ! We have to keep moving and pivoting when we need to . We have to take charge of where we want our business to go . I ’ ve grown a lot in that area since COVID forced us to get out of our comfort zone . Sometimes what we try crashes and burns , but we get back up and try something else !”
Donna has discovered that social media is a versatile and effective tool to connect with customers .
We have been able to develop a community of followers who consistently shop with us because we have developed a relationship with them through Facebook and Instagram
“ We have been able to develop a community of followers who consistently shop with us because we have developed a relationship with them through Facebook and Instagram ,” she says . “ They know us , they trust us and they shop with us .” CRA
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“ Digital 2023 Deep-Dive : How Much Time Do We Spend on Social Media ?” DataReportal . com , accessed 17 Aug . 2023 , https :// datareportal . com / reports / digital-2023-deep-dive-time-spent-onsocial-media continued on page 32 >>
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