In today’s digital age, social media is like an online playground and if you’re not out there swinging on those monkey bars you might as well not exist. Let’s face it, all legitimate brands have a social presence today, so it feels odd if you don’t.
To be effective and stand out from the crowd you need to plan a complete strategy and implement it in a methodical way, so before you go running off to frantically create accounts across every available social media platform, stop. Breathe. Let’s look at 6 key tips for success.
Find Your Platform/s
There’s no point creating a Twitter profile and tweeting to your heart’s content if your audience doesn’t use that channel. Basically it would be like shouting to an empty room.
So before you create your social presence you need to define your audience and decipher which social platform/s they use. Are they artistic and image-based? Maybe it’s Instagram. Do they like daily updates and enjoy reading some long-form content? Try Facebook. Once you figure that out, you have your starting point. Well done you.
Establish Your Brand Messaging
This is all about creating your voice! How do you speak to your customers? Are you informative like an older-brother or more sassy like a friend? Look at your business goals, mission statement and branding, then determine your angle and theme.
What will your content centre around? No one likes a pushy salesman so when you’re not posting about your product/service, could you provide lifestyle inspiration or another form of themed content? At the end of the day it’s up to you, but you need to ensure everything your post across social relates back to your key brand message.
Cut Through The Clutter
Today good content forms the backbone of any marketing campaign. Ideas are a form of currency and a great one pays up big so it’s time to get thinking. Great content has the power to drive interest, encourage new leads and drive conversions.
Brainstorm ideas to discover what could work for you. Create a content calendar and ensure you have a library of options. Be original. Be relevant. Delivery your content regularly. But remember, it’s about quality over quantity.
It’s All About The Ads
Whilst on the surface Facebook appears to be a free platform, with the recent changes to its algorithms, it’s not so much the case for us marketers. Even if your budget is small, paid advertising will help accelerate your growth by ensuring that people are seeing your posts. Play with your headlines and captions, trial different images and be sure to utilise audience targeting, this will ensure you drive your content towards the most relevant people.
Get Talking
Don’t forget that social media is not a one-way digital marketing tool, the blessing [and curse] is that the conversation works both ways. You can engage with your loyal customers and reward them with offers and inside product knowledge.
Never underestimate the power of engagement. Reply to other commenters, like their posts, suggest new thoughts. The important thing is to keep the ball rolling and encourage conversion. It’s about fostering a sense of community and trust.
Analyse That
Along the way ensure you are checking your metrics and monitoring your pages. Most social platforms have some great insights and reporting capabilities that enable you to get into the minds of your audience – what are they looking at, what are they liking, what disinterests them, how often are they online? (Think of it as an ethical form of stalking. Nothing creepy.)
From those results you can optimise your content. Whatever they’re loving – post more of it! Work to scheduling content at times you know your audience is online. Use targeting tools to reach out to your most active audience segment.
When it comes to social media, there is no one solution fits all. These days, successful social media marketing is regarded as an art form. With the right tools and strategies there’s no doubt you can be a superstar. It’s about getting out there, creating a presence and getting inside the mind of your audience. And remember, say it how it is. No one likes a bull-shitter.