Social Media has become a key marketing channel for organisations around the world.
Today many social media platforms provide cost effective advertising functionalities that can help better reach your target audience.
Facebook, for instance, allows advanced targeting and clear calls to action through Facebook Ads.
However, at times, social media marketing is overwhelming, given the increasing number of platforms available and the frequency of use.
So, before you start, think about:
marketing objectives
target audience
content
internal resources
competition
Then consider what platforms are relevant to your business and industry.
Here are 6 tips to consider for your social media marketing strategy.
1. Marketing Objectives
What do you want to achieve with your social media marketing? Here are some of the most common objectives:
Increase brand awareness and visibility online
Increase the number of fans / followers
Generate new leads and attract new prospects
Build your thought leadership in a specific industry
Manage your reputation with your stakeholders
Provide real time customer service to your client base
2. Audience
Who are you targeting? What social media platforms does your audience mostly use?
Segmenting is an essential step in your Digital Marketing Strategy Approach (see where it sits in this infographic here).
If you are a B2C brand, then consumers are your target and can be segmented by demographics, psychographics (interests and passions) and technographics (use of technology).
If you are looking to build long term relationships, focus on millennials. They are the customers of tomorrow, digitally influential and heavy users of social media.
3. Content
Content is king, especially so in social media!
The type of social media content depends on your business line, industry and the channels you are using.
If you use videos then choose YouTube and Facebook. If you generate leads with white papers and thought leadership pieces, and consider discussion groups of value for your business development then consider LinkedIn in your mix.
Also, tone of voice must adapt to the platform you use and to your audience. ‘Salesy’ communications might not be appropriate for B2B messaging.
4. Resources
What internal resources and technical capabilities do you need to create engaging content and manage your social media channels?
This is a very important organisational aspect. Social media marketing requires monitoring and updating, especially if volume and frequency of your communication is high and if you use social media as a customer service tool.
5. Competition
Before you commit to your social media-marketing plan, conduct a digital audit to understand what channels are more relevant to your business.
See what your competitors are doing on social media, what type of content they are sharing and which platforms they are using. This will give you an idea of how much they are investing and the level of engagement they stimulate.
6. Now choose your social media platforms and consider the following:
Are in a B2C or B2B market? Facebook is great for B2C. LinkedIn is considered the best platform for B2B.
What content do you produce? Video is the most viewed content on Facebook
Who are your followers and what platform do they use? Use of Instagram and Snapchat is on the rise among millennials
What advertisement tools does the platform provide? Think Facebook Ads, LinkedIn sponsored updates, Twitter lead-gen card.
Are there groups in these channels? Groups are a good tool to engage with potential clients, experts and competitors.
According to MDG Advertising and Social Media Today, brands will use less brands in 2017 (for more details click here)
Finally, if you choose multiple channels consider a social media management software. This could save you time. Here is a list of five by Social Media Examiner.
There you go.
And remember: test and try, be patient and stay responsive!
Good luck and thank you for reading.
Feel free to share your experience here.