Last week in Social Media Strategy Part One: The Why was talked about the importance of having a social media strategy. Social media isn’t just a fad. It is here to stay! Almost every successful marketer is using some form of social media to engage with their target audience. Social media is easy to set up and inexpensive to operate. In Social Media Strategy Part 2, we are going to discuss how to strategize a social media marketing plan using just five simple steps.
#1: Once you have your social media accounts set up and ready to roll, it is very important to add the social media engagement elements to your website. Have you ever come across a great website or awesome content and you can’t wait to share it with your friends? You look around and there isn’t a share button. So much great content gets lost in the mix, because of this. So discuss it with your web developer or if you manage your own site, be sure to activate this handy feature. Potential customers take comfort in the ability to quickly contact you as well, so have your social media readily available from the moment they visit your website.
#2: Engage, engage, engage with those who share posts. The actual strength of your social media profile lies within your interaction with your fans. What better way to get to know your target audience? Find out what they like about your business, the content that you share and what they want to see more of. Stay connected by posting on a regular basis and respond to your followers’ questions, likes, reviews and comments. Just taking the time to acknowledge your audience’s presence can go a very long way.
#3: It’s important to know when to post. You can hit the social media jackpot by posting at the right time. This takes time, research and a bit of trial and error. But eventually you will get to know your followers as well as the target audience that you want to reach. Stay on top of what’s trending now. Share content that is generating a lot of “buzz” on the internet! Find out when your audience is the most active. For example, perhaps your audience checks their Facebook accounts over lunch break. Perhaps they like to browse over morning coffee or in the evening. Experiment by posting at different times and you will get an idea of when your audience is most active. What a great way to get a leg up on your less-savvy competitors!
#4: Always have a plan! Put together a calendar to plan your future posts. Visit websites like National Day Calendar to find out what’s coming up that you can have some fun with. What’s coming up on your company’s promotional calendar? It’s important to have a plan and stick to it. Don’t lose track of your social media with all of the busy day-to-day activities that consume your time as a business owner. Take a look at other companies in your industry. What are they sharing? What gets the most interaction? In the marketing world, if we see a good idea, we take it and make it better! The same applies to your social media strategy!
#5: It’s important that while you share your content, to do it in a socially responsible manner. We’ve all been there, we something exciting and we can’t wait to share it! It’s important to avoid the habit of posting too often. Users never want to have their timelines flooded with links or material that they may not find beneficial. Your content must be useful, original and engaging.
Are you ready to start your social media marketing plan? These tips should help you to get started and get noticed. Put yourself out there, find your target audience and stay engaged with content tailored to them. Remember that the digital world is everywhere and a perfectly tailored social media plan is just what you need!
Rethink out of the Box 