Do you have a social media strategy? What is a social media strategy? We’ll explain what it is, why it’s beneficial to your company, and what it isn’t.
What a social media strategy isn’t
A social media strategy isn’t just posting on whatever social media channels you or your business are on, whenever you feel like it.
A social media strategy isn’t just posting on social media because you think you should, hoping for something positive to happen.
What a social media strategy is
A social media strategy outlines what you intend to do on social media, including which channels, content, and goals. The data informs the strategy on what works and what doesn’t.
The data is then reviewed periodically to assess strategy effectiveness.
In other words, a social media strategy is the antithesis of spontaneous posting.
So, how do I create a social media strategy?
- Goal-setting
- Know your audience
- Specify your goals
- Create the content
- Be prompt & accessible
- Review, adjust, repeat
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Goal-setting
Remember to set SMART goals: specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound. Your goals might involve increasing brand awareness, to drive more traffic to your website, gain more followers for your community and many more. The goal is you need to set goals.
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Know your audience
Don’t assume you know your target market. Investigate social media statistics to learn more about your audience’s expectations.
LinkedIn is used by a well-educated audience for business-to-business marketing. Instagram is for shoppers, and TikTok is for teenagers. Women use Pinterest more than men. This kind of information can help you focus your social efforts in the right places.
There are so many online resources to help you better understand your audience. There’s also the old-fashioned research of observing your competitors’ interactions with their audiences. Can you learn anything from this?
A word of advice: don’t try to be everywhere. Rather than spreading yourself too thin, focus on two or three channels and post regularly.
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Specify your goals
Data is the key. Decide how you will increase brand awareness and engagement. Count clicks, likes, or shares? Make sure you know where you stand with this data and where you want to go.
Your goals must be quantifiable.
You may also want to increase positive engagement with a hashtag, track the performance of certain hashtags, or increase website click-throughs.
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Create the content
Those without a social media strategy usually skip this step, unsure of who, how, or why they want to engage on social media.
Remember, quality over quantity. With this knowledge, you should be able to target your images and messaging more precisely.
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Be prompt & accessible
Posting time matters. Examine your engagement at various times of the day. Your audience’s timings will vary.
And you must be available to respond to questions and comments. Leaving a glowing comment unacknowledged is a sure way to lose a follower and harm your engagement metrics.
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Review, adjust, repeat
Your strategy should evolve based on what you discover works and what doesn’t. Set a review deadline and focus on the data to understand what it is about the successful posts that you can replicate going forward.