Why do I need a social media strategy?
You need a social media strategy – don’t let anyone tell you any different. And we’re not talking about posting a cute cat video once a week on Facebook with the hope that your customers think you’re as adorable as said cat. You need to figure out where your target audience (you do know who that is, right?) is hanging out on the internet – is it Twitter, Facebook, Tinder, Google+, Pinterest, Instagram, or some other online nook you’re not yet aware of?
We also need to make sure your brand message is one that will resonate with your target market on social media. What information are they looking for? What problem can you solve for them? And where do they want to find the solution? Finally, we’ll uncover which social media channels are the best match for your website’s conversion process. The real goal is to get consistent traffic of buyers headed to your site so we want to make certain that we’re catching your target at a time when they’re likely to buy and make it easy for them to do so, wherever they are.
Without getting too deep here, the internet, like the universe, is constantly expanding. There are new tools, new sites, new platforms, new rules, and new galaxies being discovered all the time. This is why you need a social media strategy.
But before you get overwhelmed thinking your site is going to get sucked into the black hole of online oblivion, we can help. By developing a social media strategy that is active instead of reactive, strategic instead of tactical, we’ll put down some objectives and metrics that will make your website perform as if the Force is with you.
Step 1: Everybody’s a Somebody When it Comes to Social Media.
Social media and its effects impact all areas of your company – sales/marketing, production, customer service, legal, etc. That’s why no one person should be crowned king of social media in your company. To be really effective you need to be more representative – create a team from the various departments of your company to maximize their experience and perspective on your social media strategy. This will also make sure everyone knows what’s going on when it comes to your online activity.
Step 2: There’s a Time to Shut Up and Listen
And that time is now. Being a good listener is an invaluable tool and never more so than in social media. You can learn a lot by listening to what your customers are saying – not just about your brand but about your competitors, and other things they value or are turned off by. And speaking of competitors, it’s also important to listen to what messages they’re pumping out and where they’re turning up.
Step 3: Stay Focused
You can’t be all things to all people nor can you accomplish all your goals in one campaign. You’ll be far more effective if you choose one goal, maybe two, TOPS, for your social media strategy. Do that, do it well. Then move on to slay the next dragon.
Step 4: Are We There Yet?
To figure out how successful we’ve been with our social media strategy, we need to define what success really means to your business. Is it more sales? Is it sign-ups? Downloads? Likes? How will you measure the return on investment?
Step 5: Know Thy Customer
We need to know who your target audience is if we’re going to find them online. It’s crucial to understand their demographic, their wants, needs, challenges, and interests. Then we can craft a message they’re going to hear loud and clear in a place where they want to hear it.
Step 6: People first
Social media is just that, social. That means people interacting with other people, so to be successful you need to be sure your company is acting like a person, not a corporate entity. It’s important to start thinking about how you can express the human elements of your brand even if you’re in the B2B market because believe it or not, they’re people too.
Step 7: Create a Channel Plan
Once we understand your audience and your message, we need to create a tactical plan for how, where and when we’re going to reach out to on social media, whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, etc.
Why us?
We’re social people. Beyond getting invited to lots of parties, we understand how you can translate what may seem like the frivolous online interaction of your customers into engaging with them in a way that makes your brand more meaningful. We know who is where, what they’re doing, and the best ways you can interact with them. It’s like knowing the dress code for every occasion, the right wine to bring to dinner, and whether a rom-com or a thriller is the best choice for movie night. You don’t want to crash their party, you want to be on the top of their VIP list.
Let’s discuss your social media strategy
