Social media marketing might be easier, but that doesn’t mean you can go about it haphazardly and expect to see success. Instead, you need to develop a plan that fits your business and its goals, then use the channels available on the various social media platforms to get your message across effectively and efficiently. The following guide will help you create a sensible social media strategy for your business so you can reap all the benefits of this powerful medium without getting in your head complicated tactics or ineffective results.
Identify your target audience
Before you start creating content or promoting your business on social media, you need to identify your target audience. Who are you trying to reach? What are their interests? What social media platforms do they use? Once you have a good understanding of who your target audience is, you can start creating content that appeals to them. Depending on the size and needs of your company, it may be beneficial to divide up the workload so that not one person has all the responsibility. That way, if something goes wrong with any part of the process (social media strategy), there’s someone else there to help pick up the slack.
Set aside time each day
Let’s say you want to spend 30 minutes each day on social media marketing. The first 10 minutes can be spent reviewing your analytics to see how your posts are performing and which ones are getting the most engagement. Then, you can spend the next 10 minutes coming up with new content ideas. Lastly, use the last 10 minutes to actually post the content and interact with your followers. It might sound like a lot of work, but if you get in the habit of doing this every day, it will become second nature. There is no right amount of time to devote to social media marketing- just make sure that you’re giving yourself enough time so that when an opportunity arises, you’ll have the flexibility to take advantage of it!
Be consistent with posting, but vary the content
The first step is creating interesting and shareable content. This means posting on a regular basis, but also mixing up the types of content you post. Try to include images, videos, infographics, and articles in your posts. Also, be sure to vary the topics you write about so that your followers don’t get bored. For example, if you’re running a bakery, it might make sense to talk about different recipes one week, then give advice on how to make perfect pie crusts the next week. Be authentic with your voice: Another important part of any social media strategy is being genuine and honest with your tone. Avoid sounding like a marketing person or being too formal – try instead to sound like someone who’s just talking to their friends!
Don’t follow every fad!
You don’t need to be on every social media platform. In fact, trying to be can actually hurt your business. You’ll spread yourself too thin and won’t be able to give each platform the attention it deserves. Not to mention, you’ll likely end up overwhelmed and frustrated. So how do you know which platforms to focus on? Do your research and create a sensible social media strategy for your business. Determine what kind of audience you want to reach and where they are most active. Once you have that narrowed down, decide which platforms will best help you meet those goals. Keep in mind that one size does not fit all when it comes to social media marketing!
Engage your audience
Before you can create a social media strategy, you need to understand who your audience is and what they want. The best way to do this is to engage with them directly. Pay attention to the comments and questions they post on your page, and take note of the posts that get the most engagement. This will give you a good idea of the topics that are most important to your audience and what kind of content they respond best to. Once you know this, it’s much easier to plan out a strategy that incorporates their needs. It’s also vital to keep in mind the goals of your business when creating a social media strategy. For example, if customer service is one of your goals, then you’ll want to put more effort into responding quickly and courteously.
Use visuals to get your message across
Your business needs a social media strategy. But what goes into a good social media strategy? And how do you create one that makes sense for your business?
Here are the key components of a sensible social media strategy:
- Set goals and objectives. What do you want to achieve with social media? More website traffic? More leads? More sales?
- Know your audience. Who are you trying to reach with your social media marketing?
- Research your competition. What are they doing on social media? How can you do it better?
- Choose the right platform. Not all social media platforms are created equal. They each have their own pros and cons, which means you need to pick the ones that make sense for your business. It also means being active across multiple channels. You might find that one or two platforms work well for your company, but many businesses find success by diversifying their efforts across several channels at once. For example, if you’re an e-commerce site looking to increase customer engagement, consider using both Instagram (highly visual) and Twitter (news updates).
Take note of what works and what doesn’t, then use this information to further improve your strategy
As a business owner, you can’t afford to not be on social media. But with so many platforms and options, it can be overwhelming to create a social media strategy that makes sense for your business. Here are some tips to get started:
The first thing you need to decide is which platform will work best for your needs. For example, if you sell women’s clothing then Pinterest is probably a good choice. If instead, you are selling electronics then Facebook may be the better option. Once you’ve decided on a platform it’s time to start posting! The key here is consistency; make sure there’s something new coming out of your account every day or at least every other day.
