Your social media strategy is your plan for internet success. How you are going to attract the maximum number of people to your website?. How you are going to keep them on your website? How you will keep those customers coming back and continue to bring in new ones? Your strategy should not be to get people “in the door”, your goal is to get customers. This not only gives you base but provides you with free advertising through their own social media and word of mouth. You can probably already see how exponential online growth can be. Large companies with huge loyal bases already are spending millions to have online presence. For pretty much free you can successfully use social media to help grow your business. This is because large companies pay several people to watch over multiple sites all day, have celebrity/athlete endorsements and push ad campaigns. Even with a good strategy, it will be time consuming and hard at times but the benefits are great.
1. Know Who You are Reaching Out To
This seems pretty simple right. You probably have already done this when establishing your business. Though, are you focusing on them? Different people use different sites, facebook is a good all arounder, but it will not be as attractive to younger groups as you might think. Since you probably can’t keep track of several sites and run a business it would be wiser to only use 1. So you need to figure out which site will attract more of your demographic.
2. Find Good Content
Good content can come from anywhere, it doesn’t even have to be from your business specifically. Show your audience things that they want to see and that promote your general business or the principles your company stands on. For example, if you are a company that sells razors, you can post about how to speak with your barber. Many companies support beliefs, like apple supporting American’s privacy by not yielding private information to the government. Show that you have integrity!
3. Promote Yourself Online, In Shop
If you have a physical shop, make sure that when people come in that they know about what you do online. Give them a discount for joining your newsletter or following you, etc… Many surveys show that people are starting to buy more online than in store. Not only that, but it is currently being debated that people spend more when online shopping because of increased shopping time, no physical cart and the increased amount of distracting deals available.
4. Start an Email Newsletter
Keep your buyers informed about current deals and events going on. Having an interesting newsletter will keep good contact with and make customers want to come back. Use it to show your passion by showing off one of your creations, successes, or a related current event.
5. Have a Blog
This is similar to a newsletter but these can be longer and are more informative on specific topics. Blogs are used to give your audience a better understanding of how to excel or what product are out there. A blog is an extra step that you take for the customer so that they feel more comfortable in using your service or buying your products.
6. Listen To Your Customers
Social media gives you the chance to show that you are listening. If a customer complains, answer back offering help with their problem. Ask your customers questions about your business, logo, and products. Your customers just might give you that little piece you were missing to make a truly great company.
7. Reliably Maintain Your Sites
If you have a facebook, post and get in on the comment section regularly. Keep on a consistent timetable with your newsletter or blog. If you are not reliable in your social media, you will not get enough exposure and your customer will start to think that you are unreliable.
image credit: perftesting.co.uk8. Figure Out What Personality Your Business Has
It is also important in social media management, that you properly and consistently represent the “personality” of your company. If you are selling kid’s toys then you can talk more childishly than if your were a business consultant. You want people to be confident in you so make sure that you are well defined.
9. How Will You Measure Success
You will need a goal for your social media strategy. Whether it is increasing online leads generated, online sales made or just increasing how many times your post is shared, if you don’t have a specific goal that is attainable, you can’t form a strategy. Give your goal a time limit and if you do not reach your goal, take a look at what you have done and see where you can improve.
10. Check Out Competitors
First identify who you are competing with. Then look at what they are doing and ask yourself, “Are they successful?” You are not trying to reinvent the wheel, your company is great, you just have to put yourself out there correctly. “Good artists copy, Great artists steal” – Pablo Picasso
