As with other online marketing efforts, social media is not a one and done type of strategy.
In fact, it requires constant involvement and interaction in order to be effective. Which is probably why most business give up or don’t participate altogether because they find it too time consuming and overwhelming.
The good news is that developing a social media strategy doesn’t have to send you running for the hills.
Most of your efforts can be streamlined according to these 3 factors:
Knowing your audience – what is your target audience’s most pressing problem? This should already be a major component with your other marketing efforts. With social media, knowing this can help you determine how to structure your social media posts, where you will post them, and how often you will need to engage with your audience.
Choosing platforms that help you meet your business goals – what platforms are your target audience participating on? What platforms will help you reach them most effectively? While you can probably make any social media platform work for your business, you will save time and effort by focusing on the ones most aligned with your type of business.
Creating content that engages your audience – Are you going to post blog content, video content, promote your products or services, or offer contests or special giveaways? Again, this goes back to knowing your audience and understanding their needs. It will help you know ahead of time what to post and make your efforts easier and more successful.
If you still find that you’re not sure of where to start or how to improve results, you can always hire a social media consultant to help you streamline your campaign. They can assist you with getting set up, providing content, tracking and monitoring results, or coach your team so you can manage your accounts internally.
Regardless of what you decide, don’t leave social media out of your marketing efforts. You’re missing out on massive potential to reach your audience and boost your profits.
