Trending
Written by: Daniel Stephens
In today’s world, it is close to impossible to be a successful company without a social media presence. Social networks are largest and most diverse way to reach out to customers around the world. When approached correctly, social can be a great tool to have in your arsenal, but most people approach it with little to no plan at all. Don’t be one of those people. Use the steps that follow to set yourself and your social media marketing up for success.
1. CREATE REALISTIC GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Who do you want to attract? Where do you want your social media marketing to take you? These are the questions you have to ask before you begin your venture into social media. Do you want to advertise to married couples with a stable income or are you looking at the college kids who love to party?
Not only do you need to ask questions, but you need to establish goals. You need goals to measure where you started and where you want to be because if you don’t have any goals, you’re just taking shots in the dark and hoping you hit something.
Make these goals realistic and smart. You can’t say you want to get 200 new followers in the next two days because that isn’t realistic. Instead, set monthly or quarterly goals and base them on industry standards. Creating realistic and obtainable goals and objectives are where it all starts with social media.
2. DEFINE HOW YOU’LL MEASURE SUCCESS
How do you know if you are successful in what you are doing? You need benchmarks in place to see where you were and where you are now. Measure your social mentions and interactions to see if they’re improving brand awareness. Are people actually talking about your company or are the interactions merely coincidental and still no one knows who you are? Without benchmarks and measurables in place, you will never be able to compare your past with our present, which means your company won’t have a future in the digital world.
3. LOOK AT YOUR AUDIENCE
You have to be realistic in the fact that you won’t be able to attract every demographic out there. You have to decide who your main target will be and then branch off from there. Start small and as your social strategy and presence grow, so will your audience. It’s all about looking at one demographic at a time and then expanding once you have a solid grasp on your audience.
4. SCOUT THE COMPETITION
If you are looking to rebrand or create social media accounts from scratch, look at the competition around you. Don’t be afraid to scout around and model your profiles after what has been fruitful. Not only will social media listening help you come up with ideas on how to be successful, it will also give you ideas on how to be different. When you see that 5 out of 6 social media accounts are doing the same kind of thing, stray from the path and create something new. Always be aware of what is around you and what is working on social media today.
5. BE A FREAKIN’ PERSON, NOT A MACHINE
Putting out articles with links all the time may improve website traffic, but it won’t create an impact. Social media is about a personal experience and being real with your followers. Look at Wendy’s Twitter . They’re all about interacting with their followers in a personal way. They aren’t only about promoting their brand. They want to make their social content memorable. They act like any normal person on Twitter would. Think about it like this, no one will remember the ad you post three times a week, but they will remember if you reply to a tweet they sent out. It’s all about making a personal connection with your followers, not just promoting a product or business.
6. FIGURE OUT YOUR “GIMMICK”
Every social media page should have a hook that sets them apart from the competition. You need to pull on the heartstrings of your followers. When you think of companies like Dick’s Sporting Goods , you don’t think just equipment, you think of elite athletes. They have created such an impactful brand for themselves that they are known for creating athletes, not just for selling athletic equipment. It’s all about creating a brand, not just selling a product.
7. TWEAK AND ADJUST
Albert Einstein said the definition of insanity is “doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.” So if something isn’t working for you on social, it would be a bit insane to keep doing it. Some companies just get stuck in a rut and refuse to create new content, and that is how you stunt your social growth. You have to always be innovating your accounts and looking at new ways to approach customers. It’s the only way to survive in today’s digital world.