Integrating social media into your marketing plan is a necessary step in developing your brand, but before diving in, you will need to learn the ins and outs of a successful social media strategy. Follow our guidelines below!
What is Your Goal? Social media is the perfect way to build your brand, but first you must develop a goal that is well-aligned with your company vision. Create goals for your business by ensuring they are attainable, but not so easy you can reach it without a stretch. Develop your social media strategy by following the S.M.A.R.T acronym—Treat it like your own personal checklist! Ensure your goal is: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time Sensitive.
Who is Your Target Audience? In order to utilize social media, you must understand the audience you are targeting. Your demographic will depend on the content of your business, so first you should define the most evident characteristics of your potential audience such as age ranges, genders, education or incomes. Once you define the basic information of your target market, it’s time to understand who they are. Explore their likes, dislikes and overall lifestyle—Does your product resonate deeply with this person’s values? Defining a target audience takes time and energy, but once you establish who you’re targeting, you are one step closer to growing your business.
What Social Channels Fit Your Brand Best? Before connecting with your target audience, you will need to first define your key social channel. You will need to consider where your viewers are—To which social channel are your potential customers most active? Once you establish a social channel, decide why they are there—Are they connecting with friends or finding a source for news? As resources can often serve as a main hurtle, you will need to decide which social channel will have the highest reach and be most beneficial to your product.
How will you measure success? Measuring the overall success of your social media strategy is vital to your brand. Using analytics to track activity over time will allow you to see firsthand the growth of your business. Make sure you are tracking conversions and measuring reach and engagement levels. If they are low, ask yourself why. Additionally, keep track of follower growth, likes and reactions on your social channels to ensure your business is on an upward slope. Luckily, social media has analytic tools that can measure your success for you—Use them!
How Will You Optimize Your Strategy? Regardless of how beautifully utilized your social media strategy is, you should always make further efforts to improve it. If you run out of ideas, listen to your audience! By listening to what others are saying about your company or product, you can gather opinions, monitor brand reputation and ensure you are keeping up to date with competitors.
