Let's Talk Strategy

So, you're using social media without a strategy?

How's that working for you?

Listen, I get that in the grand scheme of things, working on your service delivery and all of the other internal things necessary to run your business are going to take priority over marketing. But the truth remains: if you're not marketing a business, you're not growing it.

Social media is one of the most accessible forms of marketing, meaning anyone can get on a platform and start posting in promotion of a business or organization. Still, you have to have a strategy.?

Here are some essential steps to getting started…

Set Objectives

All right, so let’s pause for a moment — think about what you want to achieve. Want to drive more visitors to your website? Need better conversion rates? Are you looking to increase brand awareness? See, knowing what you want to do will help you figure out what you need to do. Knowing what you are trying to achieve will determine the right strategy.

Know Your Target Audience — Find Your Messaging?

Relevance is an essential element of strategy. A company's ability to connect with people's emotions and become personally relevant to them is key. You see, relevant content is more authentic and believable. People are more likely to find you and stay with you if your content is relevant to them.?

So who are you targeting??

Do you know what lingo and phrases they use? What are they interested in? What is their struggle? Do you even know where they at tho??

TikTok, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, or YouTube, perhaps? What is their favorite way to consume content? Listening to podcasts, watching videos, or reading blog posts??

Once you can identify who and where your target is, you can then determine your brand message. What separates your brand, and why should your audience choose your product or service? Being able to communicate this quickly and effectively will get results.?

You have to know your ideal customer AND talk to them in a way to which they can relate. After all, in a busy online world, consumers have limitless opportunities— yet they still desire connection, transparency, and solutions.?

Get Your Stuff Together

Get your schedule in order! Creating schedules makes strategizing so much easier. A schedule also helps you quickly get into a routine. How? For one, you know what to expect and when to do what. You can also quickly get into a routine by setting specific days and times to do certain tasks to establish consistency.

Fortunately, we live in a world with incredible tools to track tasks quickly. Having the right management tools will save you a lot of time, effort, and money. Keep tasks in order with tools like Asana, Trello, Loomly, and Slack. Automate your social media with platforms like Hootsuite, Buffer, Sprout Social, and Canva. You can also schedule monthly emails in a program like Mailchimp.?

Please Note: Even if you enjoy these time-saving hacks, don't bypass engaging with your audience. They still want to interact daily (even if it's just an emoji). So take time to like, comment, and share content organically.

Relax, Repurpose, Release (or whatever Whitley said)

Have you written a blog post that people loved? Well, Relax, Repurpose, and Release…it again!?

Why not turn it into an infographic, record it as a podcast or live video, or expand it into an ebook for people to download (also growing your mailing list)??

Have older blogs? Those can spin the block again! You can turn those into social posts if they are relevant and helpful. Got an excellent review or client feedback? After sharing it on social media, you can flip that into a custom-branded image on Canva and share it again (just in a different format).?

The common questions you get asked often — go live to discuss them. So I'm trying to say that utilizing content in different forms saves you time and gives the content extended life.

Keep your Insights In Sight ??

Track your data, folks! Tracking data and analytics can tell you what's working (and not) in your strategy. You’ll soon begin to see trends, dips, and red flags, which will aid in adjusting your strategy and content accordingly. If you notice more engagement on specific posts, then definitely do more of those.

Let's Get Ready to Werk, Werk, Werk, Werk, Werk, Werk

All right, so grab your calendar and schedule a 30-minute brainstorming session — alone, with your team, a colleague, or somebody — just get it done.

Have fun with it — if a glass of wine or a cup of coffee helps get your brain going, then grab that along with your calendar. Spend time working on your business, start with your goals and messaging, then translate that information into actionable strategies.?

Remember, setting aside time on your calendar to brainstorm and review content and analytics is essential.