I’ve been spending a lot of time with my sister these days. In fact, right now she’s sitting across from me as we co-work together. I like her presence while I’m working, it’s different than mine. And although we look a like, we think very differently.
First thing you need to know about my sister is that she is a scientist. Yes, a real live scientist. An epidemiologist to be exact. She studies why diseases happen based on your genes and your environment. I study how people share things online based on the content around them. So I guess in my own right I too am a scientist. 😉
I’ve written an article like this before about my mom and dad. Now here are the three things I’ve learned about social media from my sister.
1. It’s All About That Data
Data is all the rage and for a good reason. Your success can oftentimes depend on the data you have. You want to have data on your customer, on your social media audience, on your customer’s buying habits and what they are buying from you, and on the relevance and performance of the content you share. Without the data you are really just aiming in the dark. Numbers are important and you should pay attention to them. If you want to take your social media strategy to the next level you have to know what works down to the science. For content analysis, I use a mixture of google analytics, buffer, Infusionsoft and Sparktrend.com.
One thing to note is that the data is only good if it comes from the right sample set. So be cautious when listening to those blanket statements about the type of content to post or the times to post. That’s someone else’s data. For the best results go by your own data. By the way did you know that data is actually plural. Another thing I learned from her. 🙂
2. Hypothesize But Test
A hypothesis is a good thing. It’s good to have as a starting point. For example, when it comes to social media, it is important to take other people’s ideas or your own ideas and say something like, “I’ve noticed video is working very well for other companies. When I see it on my page, I’m engaged, so I believe my audience will also be engaged when I post video to my pages.”
That’s your hypothesis. Now it’s time to test it to make sure it works. If it doesn’t work, it’s time for a new hypothesis and new testing.
What have you learned about business from your family?
