Social media can feel like “high school”. The paradigm here is; if you are not presenting as the most “popular kid in the class” or not the one getting the most attention – then you “appear” to be not popular. So if we translate this thought into the social media universe – if feels like if you are not getting a boat-load of “likes” and “views” you may think that you are not reaching people or not successful. Not true.

When I became full time entrepreneur, I did a lot of on-line research. I focused not only on the “upstarts” and the “new kids on the block” that were getting big “hits” but also on business that had been in it for the long run. For the ventures that had been around from 2, 5, 10 years or longer – I analyzed everything about them to try and determine what their strengths were and why they continued to succeed on-line. The research proved that each one of them thrived with different and clever courses of action and methodologies ALONG with their social media.

The wrap-up here is that if you don’t marry your social media platforms with a solid business plan – “likes” and views” don’t necessarily guarantee popular reviews and garner revenue. If you have a “viral video” but no actual business to speak of and all you are getting is “internet approval”, be aware that does not always bring in the money. “Likes” and “views” will gain you followers and give you more brand awareness which can in turn attract more attention to your product. But to assure actual sales, make sure you are working with a solid business strategy along side your social media posts and together, they should gain traction for your bottom line.