Since the early 2000s, social media has been changing the way people and businesses communicate. According to Social Media Today, individuals spend on average 135 minutes per day on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and WhatsApp. When it comes to reaching audiences, part of the strategy for businesses is to focus on reaching customers where they are most active. In many cases in today’s society, that may be social media.
Using social media is a great way to not only market products and services, but also build brand awareness and loyalty. Although it seems simple, our team often hears questions from clients asking “how do I get started? What social media platforms should I be active on? What content do I post?”
So, here we go to set the record straight to help effectively implement social media into your larger strategic marketing plan.
Choosing Social Media Platforms
Did you know individuals 65 and older are most active on Facebook, while individuals ages 18 to 24 are most active on Instagram and Snapchat? To determine which social media platforms your business should be active on research is required. Start by evaluating your target audience. How old are they? Knowing your target audience and their social media habits can help your business determine which is the right social media platform to consider.
Plus, it’s important to remember more is not always better when it comes to social media. You do not need an account on every social channel to get noticed and while these platforms may be “free,” your time is not.
Setting Measurable Goals
The next step in implementing a social media strategy is setting measurable goals. Are you using social media to increase brand awareness or to generate leads? Get specific and determine how success will be measured. After determining the goals, many social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn, make it easy to pull reports and data that show how social media posts have performed, which can help you determine if you are meeting your objectives.
Creating a Strategy & Content
Creating a strategy is the most important part of implementing social media. Do not start without a plan. This can lead to inconsistent posting, incorrect messaging and sometimes do more harm than good for your brand.
Determining how to reach your set goals is important. Start by identifying how often you want to post to each social media platform. Next, determine the type of content to post. Lastly, determine who will write the content. Having an individual who understands social media and the voice of your brand will largely benefit the post copy that is produced.
Remember, each social channel is different and there are ideal days/times to post that differ from channel to channel. Do your research first and create an editorial calendar for each channel from which to execute.
For more tips and tricks on how often to post and what content to create, contact us! We write content and post to social media every day for multiple clients in a variety of industries, so we are here to help!
Implementing Your Plan
Now it’s time to put your plan in action! Implementing your social media plan and seeing your followers react, comment and share your information is exciting. However, it is important to consider who will implement your content. When tasking an individual with posting to social media, remember to have a social media policy in place to keep your business protected and strong. To learn more about social media policies, check out our blog.
If you still feel overwhelmed by the social media processes or have questions as you begin to implement your strategy, reach out to our team of marketing professionals who work with a variety of social media channels daily. Social media is just one of our areas of expertise. Contact us today!