Let’s get strategic about Social Media
Here at PMA, we use our blogs to try and keep you informed and motivated in your business. Social Media strategy is one of the top questions (and concerns) we hear from our clients. We’re going to shift our focus for the next few weeks to Social Media strategy.
One tip that we’ll keep coming back to is planning your content – so to help you with that, our blog will feature some fun and traditional holidays coming up in the month ahead and some hashtags you may want to build into your content planning.
Let’s start this series with some tips! Here are our first five:
1. Creating new content daily to post on your various social media channels can be frustrating. You know you need to do it, but then one deadline hits, and another is close behind; next thing you know, posting your social media content rockets to the bottom of your list. Here’s the thing, social media matters, and consistency matters. When done well and done consistently, social media can be a powerful marketing and lead generation engine. Develop content in advance and schedule some of your messages (we love Buffer!). Notice we’re deliberately saying “some” of your messages; not all of your messages should be scheduled; save room for some spontaneous messaging!
2. To make content creation a little easier, create a content calendar that will provide a framework. To start, look at what’s coming up for the month; this can be a mix of traditional holidays and fun observances. Now mix in some regular trending hashtags (such as #MondayMotivation, #WellnessWednesday, or #ThoughtfulThursday). Next, make it a priority to share content from influencers you admire, and then choose one day of the week that you comment on what’s current in your industry.
3. Know your audience. Social Media is most effective when your prospect feels you’re talking directly to them. Do they struggle with anxiety, and some recent news may be distressing? Use Social Media as a channel to speak directly to them how they need to hear it. This may mean stripping out jargon and speaking from the heart versus the head. What else do you know about them? Use what you know to guide your content tone, frequency, and timing. Not all of your messages should be promotional (more on that in a future blog!), but you should write them in a way that resonates with your prospect. Think about what they need to hear from you to help decide to purchase (testimonials, reviews, or a personal connection)?
4. Define your Social Media goals to provide a basis for measurement. What are you hoping to achieve when engaging online? Do you plan on using Social Media for customer service, community building, or product announcements? How can all of your activities online point towards the same goal? Going further, different social media channels can have other purposes, such as Twitter for customer service, LinkedIn for recruitment, or Facebook for community building. Your goals should be purposeful and visible company-wide, so everyone is aligned.
5. Lastly, for this week, remember to audit the information you have in your bio. Often we set up our social media channels and remember to post regularly but don’t always reevaluate the links and content in the bio or about area. Double-check that links work and phone numbers/email addresses work; you may even want to change your links/content to reflect a current promotion or lead magnet. Also, keep in mind that this content should be aligned with your brand in terms of color and tone.
One final bonus tip – it’s tough to stay motivated; creating fresh, original content daily can be intimidating. If you ever need help finding inspiration or need a little guidance in the right direction, our team is always here for you.
Stay tuned; we have more to come!