So you have a great business and just built a beautiful website that’s ranking well and a successful paid ads program. Think you’re all done? Not so fast there partner! With more and more users turning to social media to find business and learn more about them, you need to on social media as well as everything else you’re currently doing.
If you’re a small business and are already feeling overwhelmed by just getting your business online, then this next important tool just might be something to push you over the edge. If you have time and know how to spend on social media then you’ll have no problem doing this. If you are like most small business owners and rather focus on running your business than posting funny cat videos, then I would strongly focus on outsourcing this important aspect of your business.
Whether or not you decide to do this in-house or outsource it, some thought needs to go into your social media strategy. We’ve compiled a few tips to building an effective Social Media Content Marketing Strategy.
1. Ask yourself, what are your social media goals?
Without measurable goals, you’re just posting random things and hoping for the best. Creating goals will help you measure effectiveness on your ROI.
Remember all of your goals should be SMART.
S – Specific
M – Measurable
A – Attainable
R – Results
T – Time-Bound
If you are unable to define these 5 items, then you’ll need to sit down and write out what you really want to accomplish. Below is a table from Hootsuite that outlines social media objectives.
2. Learn Everything You Can About Your Target Audience.
Let’s face it, not everybody is going to care about your product or service no matter how great it is. If you were selling a new line of Depends diapers you wouldn’t want to spend precious advertising dollars on anyone under the age of 65.
Knowing who you’re targeting will help you be more effective in tailoring your message to them specifically.
Some things you should consider.
- Create a Buyer Persona. Who is your ideal customer?
- What demographic are you going after. Age, location, income, gender, interests, and so on.
Spend some, look at who is already buying your products, and find tools to help you target your perfect audience.
3. Find Inspiration.
Don’t know what to post? There’s nothing worse than staring at a blank screen and trying to come up with content. Take a look at your competition and what they’re posting. Look at your favorite companies.
What is their voice? Are they funny, serious, informative, etc? These are great ways to get your creative juices flowing.
4. Know which social media platforms your audience is on and be sure to learn all you can about that platform.
As you can see Facebook, Instagram, and Email make up the bulk of social media platforms so you should at least be on these 3.
Creating goals, knowing who about your audience, finding inspiration, and learning about the various social media platforms can greatly improve your overall marketing strategy.
