Social media and digital marketing are essential tools for any market plan in today's competitive and dynamic environment. They can help you reach, engage, and convert your target audience, as well as measure and improve your performance. But how do you leverage them effectively and strategically in your market plan? Here are some tips to help you get started.
Before you dive into social media and digital marketing, you need to have a clear vision of what you want to achieve and how you will measure your success. Your goals and objectives should align with your overall market plan and be SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. For example, you might want to increase your brand awareness, generate more leads, or boost your sales within a certain period.
SMART goals are important, but be sure that you are not only measuring analytics but also measuring actual conversions. A marketing plan that hits all the right LIKES & SHARES is not effective if it doesn't result in action and sales, right? So many marketers miss out on this valuable goal setting during the planning stages. Your strategy will be most effective when it results in ROI.
The next step is to understand who your audience is, what they need, what they value, and where they spend their time online. You can use various tools and methods to research your audience, such as surveys, interviews, analytics, and social listening. You should also analyze your competitors and identify their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. This will help you find your unique value proposition and differentiate yourself from the crowd.
Based on your goals, audience, and competitors, you can select the most suitable channels and tactics for your social media and digital marketing strategy. You don't have to be on every platform or use every technique, but rather focus on the ones that will deliver the best results for your budget and resources. For example, you might choose to create a blog, a podcast, or a video series to showcase your expertise and provide value to your audience. You might also use email marketing, SEO, or PPC to drive traffic and conversions to your website. Or you might use social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn to build relationships and trust with your prospects and customers.
In choosing your digital channels, I also recommend choosing platforms you enjoy working with. If you HATE being on video, a vlog or Facebook Live may not be the best route for you. People will be able to see your discomfort. In addition, if you don’t want to take the time to get into social media and respond and converse with people who engage with your posts, then social media may not be best for you.
Content is the core of your social media and digital marketing strategy. It should be relevant, engaging, and consistent with your brand voice and personality. You should also tailor your content to each channel and stage of the buyer's journey, from awareness to decision. To create and distribute your content effectively, you need to have a content calendar that outlines your topics, formats, keywords, deadlines, and responsibilities. You also need to have a content mix that balances between educational, entertaining, and promotional content.
The final step is to track and analyze your social media and digital marketing performance and make adjustments as needed. You should use the metrics and tools that match your goals and objectives, such as impressions, clicks, conversions, or ROI. You should also test different variables, such as headlines, images, or CTAs, to see what works best for your audience and channel. You should also collect feedback from your audience and respond to their comments, questions, and reviews.