Having a social media presence is an integral part to a marketing plan. Social media is where you can connect with your audience, where people can learn more about what you do, and where you can grow your following and your organization.
Beyond knowing you need to be on social media, how do you leverage it to make it work for you? There are a few fundamentals to social media marketing that will get your social media strategy on the right track and set you and your organization up for success.
1. Create Goals
Before you can decide how to tackle social media, you need to know what you want to get out of it. Deciding what’s important to your organization will give direction to your social media strategy. Break down what you want to achieve into clear goals, and be specific! Make sure goals are realistic and can be measured. Once your goals are in place, devise the tactics you’ll put in place to help you achieve them. Make sure to track the progress of these goals, and adjust where necessary so that you stay on the right track.
2. Know Your Audience
This tip can not be stressed enough. You may already have a fairly good idea of who your audience is, however, take the time to research and really dive into who they are. Understanding your audience and why they are connected to your organization. This is extremely valuable as will help shape the content that you post, when you post it, and what channels to push through.
3. Create Engaging, Valuable Content
In other words, don’t post for the sake of posting. Have a clear intent for each post and make sure that it aligns with your goals. Now that you have an understanding of your audience, you can tailor your content to be of value to them. Make your posts engaging by using eye-catching graphics, high-quality images, and well thought-out copy. Great tactics to increase engagement include hosting a giveaway, polls, and Q&As.
4. Be Consistent
This tip is twofold. First, try to post on a regular schedule, and at least a few times a week. This keeps you consistently in your audience’s feed, which increases the chances they will actually see your content. Second, everything you post should be in line with your brand. This includes the images, graphics, the language you use, and the type of content you’re posting. Keeping a clear brand image will help your audience understand your organization, so you can forge a stronger connection with them.
5. Take Advantage of Video
Video content is by far the most popular right now. It is engaging and easily digestible where a lot of information can be packed into a few minutes, and even as short as 15 seconds. You can incorporate video into your social media strategy either through pre-recorded content or through live videos. Videos help viewers gain a better picture of who you are, your personality, and helps them feel more connected to you and your organization.
There are so many facets to social media marketing that it can be overwhelming. Fortunately, many are easily incorporated into your strategy, such as the ones above, that can make a big impact. Try them out in your marketing strategy and see the results you get!