Hate it or love it, social media is a part of our lives. Currently, over four billion people worldwide actively use social media. With that level of widespread engagement, social media marketing has become a staple for a businesses’ success, and this rings especially true for businesses looking to grow. A well-thought-out social media strategy helps you attract new customers, connect with and maintain existing customers, boost your brand’s visibility, build website traffic, and increase your leads and sales. But where do you begin?
Just Get Going!
Like most things in life, getting started can be the most daunting part. If you’re a new business owner, you might think you don’t have what it takes to begin. Spoiler alert– you do! All you need is your name, your products/services, your target audience, a clear direction, a willingness to engage, and a few content development ideas to start building your social media presence.
Know Yourself: What is Your Brand and Is It Clearly Defined?
Your business is your baby. You know your products, your services, and just how valuable what you have to offer is. But the rest of the world doesn’t. Here is your chance to showcase just how amazing your business is. Don’t be ambiguous! We shouldn’t have to guess what you’re selling. State it, link it, put it in our faces (in the least obnoxious way possible, of course). Customers aren’t stupid, and they are there for a reason—they’re interested. Don’t waste anyone’s time with fluff. Be engaging but as straightforward as possible.
Define Your Audience: Who Are You Speaking To?
Start with your current customers and collect demographics. Email surveys, identify their interests and find out where they hang out online. Think about your niche and check out the competition. Find your tribe.
Platforms & Tools: What’s Right For You and How Can You Utilize Everything It Has To Offer?
Just because a platform is popular doesn’t mean it’s right for your business. You’ve defined your target audience and figured out where to find them. If Instagram feels like the right fit, don’t just create posts but also utilize the live and story options to increase content and boost traffic.
Clearly Define Your Goals: What Do You Hope to Accomplish and Can You Measure It?
Having clearly defined goals will help keep the direction of your business moving forward. The great thing about social media is you can actually measure your success. Of course, you can easily gauge your friends, followers, and post likes. But you can also use social media analytics to measure if your content is performing. Social media metrics will help you determine which content pieces directly linked to leads and even sales and which didn’t. Set goals for what you hope your social media accounts will accomplish and adjust accordingly.
Actually Be Social: Make Time to Speak With Your Customers
You want and need feedback! Of course, welcome customer comments and actually answer their queries. But also have a live Q & A session or professional panel. Livestream your new product or services launch. Let your customers and clients know you’re a real person and within their reach (to an extent).
Content: Post, Post, and Post Some More!
This can’t be stressed enough—regular, consistently posted content is SO IMPORTANT! Now you don’t want to put up just anything. Your content should be poignant and valuable to the consumer. And it needs to happen often. Make a calendar. If you have a team, work on it together. If it’s just you, make it part of your daily routine. In order to stay relevant, increase your website traffic, and boost your leads and sales, your customers need to hear from you! And don’t forget that SEO (Google is always watching)!
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