Social media has taken the world by storm in recent years.
And it’s not just the average Joe who’s using it. Companies are reaping the benefits of social media too!
If communicating with your target market on social media is something you want to take advantage of then it’s important that you first do one thing: Develop a social media strategy.
Why?
To understand social media’s purpose – what does using it seek to achieve within the context of your organisation?
It will give you direction. If you know what it’s aiming to achieve then you can formulate paths to get yourselves there!
Step 1: Understand why social media is important
Perhaps you already do.
But if you don’t, it sure is important to know.
Why?
Social media is a long term commitment. It needs to be consistently looked after; respect will build from your constant efforts.
In understanding why using social media is important to your organisation, you can see the benefits that it could potentially bring.
Step 2: Do a social media analysis
Where are you now? It’s time to analyse how you are currently marketing in context of social media.
Ask yourself questions like:
- Who are your target markets?
- What are your overall organisational goals?
- What are your existing resources for your social media efforts?
- How effective is your social media at present?
Understanding where you are now will help you understand how you can progress in the future.
Step 3: Develop your social media strategy
So, you know who you’re targeting. You know the organisational goals your social media needs to fall in line with.
But what are your social media goals? What are you seeking to achieve in using these platforms of communication?
Remember, goals should be SMART:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Realistic
- Timely
Awareness of goals will allow you to communicate a clear direction to staff managing your social media.
Step 4: Identify tactics & outline phased plan
Now you’ve got your long term strategy, it’s time to outline manageable steps which detail how you’re going to get there.
Time is a resource that social media is renowned for draining. Thus – an advisable first step is to integrate all social media accounts. This’ll mean that managing social media will be much quicker and easier.
Use tools such as Tweetdeck & Hootsuite; they are clever platforms that allow you to manage several social media accounts from one hub.
You’ve analysed which of your existing social media is effective through your social media analysis. Now you must decide which to continue using, which to eliminate and which to adopt. A previous blog post gives you a rough idea of which networks you may find most useful.
There are key questions you should ask yourself when deciding tactics.
How will you deliver your content to your target audience? When will it get delivered?
Map this out; develop a timeline that considers any upcoming product launches, events, promotions etc.
And you’re set to go…
It’s in your hands now.
Follow your plan. Don’t stray away from your strategy. Doing this will assist you in achieving your social media goals.
Remember as well: Monitoring and control is essential. It’s always a good idea to understand what is working and what isn’t; adjust your strategy and plan accordingly. Learning from mistakes is key to success.
Good luck!