Getting Social: Twitter Takeover with Justin Michael Williams
On March 11 we let social media expert and 2013 The Business of Yoga Conference presenter Justin Michael Williams take over our Twitter account for the first ever #YAChat. Over three hours, Justin answered questions and shared pro tips on how to use social media to elevate your yoga business by engaging and expanding your audience. An E-RYT 200 and social media consultant, Justin specializes in empowering yoga professionals to use social media for marketing and outreach. The session was so popular we actually broke Twitter! Well, just kidding, but Twitter did go down for a short time during the chat.
Here’s what the yogis wanted to know (paraphrased) and what Justin had to say.
Q: Should yoga teachers exclusively post yoga-related content?
A:
- “absolutely NOT. Be authentic, be real, be you. Definitely have lots of yoga, but give people a peek at who you are.”
Q: What social media platforms do you recommend?
A:
- “…only spend time where your audience is. no need to join every network.”
- “The first thing you should do is literally ASK students what networks they're on. Then use those networks.”
- On Facebook: “Use a 3:1 ratio for your Facebook posts. For every 1 promotional post, have 3 completely non promotional posts.”
- “Your FB profile can be more important than your website. Make sure it's optimized and looks good!”
- On email: “Build your email list in EVERY class. Social networks will come and go, email is here to stay for now.”
- On Twitter: "Rethink how much time you invest in it—check out this post from my blog."
Q: Hashtags are used on a variety of different platforms. What are #hashtags and why are they important. Are there any tips for using them?
A:
- “a hashtag is like an index. Use them to identify & classify messages on a specific topic.”
- “some hashtags are for tone and voice, others are real.”
- “example of tone/voice hashtag: Just had a great time at the Yoga Business Retreat #winning #yay #awesome”
- “use hashtags to expand your reach through search as well!”
- example of searchable hashtag - "having the best #photoshoot with @RobertSturman #yoga #LA" #yachat”
- “#YAchat and #YogaBiz are also great examples of SEARCHABLE hashtags.”
Q: What are the pros and cons of using Instagram?
A:
- “Instagram is the most authentic network... Use lots of #hashtags in your posts to make yourself searchable.”
- “Instagram is great for building community, but there's no metrics, no links, and no way to save your audience.”
Q: How can I get more Facebook likes?
A:
- “running Facebook ads is a great way to build fans quickly. They're super easy and work like a charm.”
Q: How do you handle harsh or mean social media comments? Is it better to openly address or privately message?
A:
- “…responding publicly is great if you can offer them something as a gift to help them have a new experience.”
- “…but NEVER argue with them. Let them be right. Your comment will not change their opinion.”
Additional Resources
- Learn to schedule Facebook posts in advance by clicking here.
- Learn our 4 steps to optimize your Facebook profile by clicking here.
Want to explore an even deep look at optimizing your social media channels? Check out Justin’s session, "Ten Tangible Tips for Social Media Success." (A brief promo is below. Log in to your account to watch the full video.) Justin explains how to minimize time and money spent on social media while maximizing exposure for your yoga business.