Although we can't rely too heavily on social media (due to the outage of Facebook & Instagram last week for 20hrs) these days —we do, however, need to marry our offline and online strategies to pivot effortlessly in those times of crisis.

Would you agree?

Last month, I had intimate conversations at my FIX MY SOCIAL MEDIA presentation with a group of professionals on where business meets social media...which most revealed, if they didn't need to use it —they wouldn't (guiltyyy).

Telepathically, I could pick up this thought, "What if I don't even want to be on the bloody thing, Tennile...huh, what about that?" Says my English-accent-question-asking-friend.

And that's when I chimed in out loud: "YOU don't need to be on social media, but your BUSINESS does" and by business I mean your brand, not #OOTD (*Outfit of the day —if it's been a slow morning).

So if you need to hire for it, DO THAT.

In the meantime, here are the three high-key social media marketing tips that won't lead you down bunny holes or suck your soul dry. These tips may not be what you would expect because short-term tricks don't create dynasties.

Social Media Marketing Tip #1

What’s Your Offline Business Plan?

What you do offline should directly reflect what you do online if you're an avid networker and are always hosting startup events. You should not only showcase those pictures of the event, but you should also share funding sources, insider stories and highlight startup founders by tagging them in your posts. Your online activity should showcase what you believe, stand for and mirror how you secure business.

Offline: Do you secure business best via relationships?

Online: Leave insightful comments on your ideal client's posts.

Offline: Do you secure business best via referrals?

Online: Set-up an easy way for people to share your content. Share links on repeat and on automation (I named 31 content + automation tools you can use in this FIX MY SOCIAL MEDIA toolkit).

Offline: Do you secure business best via speaking events?

Online: Start publishing YouTube videos.

Your offline efforts should equal your online activity strategy.

Social Media Marketing Tip #2

Does Your Product/Service Match The Platform?

The social media platform that's roaring hot right now doesn't matter. What matters is that your product is a fit to generate business on it. You need to consider the age demographic, consumer interest and if the platform makes it easier for you to lead to a sale.

Influencers do this annoyingly well. We can make the argument not to build our audience on social media, instead, have a website and an email list, etcetera—which is still a solid piece of advice. However, you must be where the people are and make it stupid simple for people to find and buy from you. Period.

That's why Instagram looks appealing to many e-commerce businesses. The platform allows buyers to purchase directly from the app.

Don't follow the buzz from an article —figure out what translates into lead generating activities for your business. It looks different for everybody.

B2B's do well on LinkedIn. B2C's do well on Facebook as a general rule; nonetheless, you won't know what works until you try something. Just don't waste your time and money following a trend.

Harvest laser-focus value from these social media platforms —over —paying the high cost to look like a boss.

Social Media Marketing Tip #3

Where’s Your Existing Traffic Coming From?

Take a peek at what's already organically bringing traffic to your website. If you don't already have Google analytics linked to your website, please do so now. I'll wait...

There's so much to learn from data, one being, the social media channel that brought you the most traffic! If you're still unsure about where to be online…let the data tell you. This click-through metric is important to pay attention to because it reveals what's working in your marketing.

Beyond your website's 411, don't sleep on the social media analytics that are baked into the social account itself. Twitter, Facebook, the LinkedIn company page, Instagram etc. all of them —have their own analytics. As you grow your following, you're able to tap into more data —this will indicate, what were your higher engaging posts so you can either double down or bow out.

DATA is the BFF to social media marketing because it dictates what you do more and less of online.

What have we learned?

That social media needs a plan otherwise we’ll tumble down bunny holes like the curious Alice in Wonderland —but most importantly, have fun with it. People like to work with people who are smart and that they "like". It's a space to connect and show off more of your genuine self. DO THAT.