How to Actually Be Social on Social Media
You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.
“There's no magic potion where you post something and people just find you. Being social is the other half of the job.”
I found myself using an old-time quote recently with a client. I had to pause and laugh because it’s something I rarely say, but at that moment it was so fitting.
“You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.”
What triggered me to say this? Well, it was a comment about how the content is out there, but it’s “like people don’t even know I’m here.”
In other words, you can post the content, but you can't stop there. The part where you need to “give back” is still up to you.
If you’re watching your follower count, your views, and your notifications closely, but you’re not feeling the love from the outside, it could be because you’re not reciprocating. You actually have to be social on social media.
If putting content out into the world were a magic potion… post it, and people just magically find you, engage with you, and become clients, I probably wouldn't have a job. None of us would! But that's not how this works. I think a lot of small business owners get stuck here without realizing it.
So what does "being social" actually look like?
It doesn't mean matching an influencer's pace or pumping out content constantly. That’s not sustainable, and oh my, I’ve even told you I tried that pace, and it ran me over! It just means doing the actual social part of social media:
Replying to comments and DMs, instead of letting them sit unacknowledged
Instead of just giving a comment a ❤️ try this instead: “Thank you so much for the kind words. I appreciate your support.” Then, also give it a ❤️.
Engaging with other accounts…genuinely commenting, not just liking and scrolling past
Instead of just dropping a 👍 as a comment, try this instead: “Thank you for sharing your story [x]. It made me think back to a time when I learned a similar lesson.” Then give a 👍 or ❤️.
Popping into your own account daily, checking notifications, and just being present
This could fit in while you’re sipping your morning coffee or between Zoom meetings.
That’s it, not a magic formula. But I hear clients describe their accounts as 'stagnant' often enough that I knew this topic needed to be addressed.
Find your rhythm, not someone else’s.
You don't need a strict daily routine to make this work. You need a rhythm, whatever that looks like for you. Maybe it's five minutes a day. Maybe it's five minutes every other day. Maybe it's a half hour every few days where you sit down, scroll through notifications, reply to what's there, and genuinely engage with a few other accounts before you log off.
The point isn't the exact number of minutes. It's that it's repeatable and sustainable, not something you stick to for a week and then forget about it.
The Takeaway
Posting is the visible part of this job. But the invisible part is the replying, the engaging, the actually being social. This is where a lot of the real connection happens. Your content can be fabulous, but it can still need you to do your part. When you get stuck, just remember to be social, show your personality, and spread some joy in the digital space. Who knows…maybe you’ll make a new friend or even gain a new client, customer, or connection 🧡