Social Media 101: Your Winning Strategy

You don’t have to convince many people today of the importance of social media in your overall marketing strategy. I’ve met a few people that still don’t consider posts that add value, sharing of information, building a following, and engaging with your customers as “real marketing”, yet apparently hanging a big sign for people to see is “real marketing.” But they are a dying breed.

Now that many see its value, what does it take to have a comprehensive social media strategy? What does that include??Many businesses don’t take advantage of the social media platforms available.?I wanted to write an informative article that will help others formulate their own strategy for their business. I also want to keep it simple and make it foundational.

I remember when I was starting to dabble in the world of social media marketing. I knew absolutely nothing. The company I worked for had a social media presence that desperately needed repaired. I decided to step in. However, I really had to do some research. So many people want to get into the details, which is important. When we do so too often, we forget those who need the basics.

Getting started, my friend, is half the battle.?Remaining consistent and improving upon what you produce is the other half of the battle. Now that you’ve joined the battle, here is what you need to figure out:

1. Who is my target audience?
2. How can I reach them?
3. What do they value?

Get out a piece of paper and jot down some ideas. Write down your the characteristics of your typical customer. Surveys also help you mine mentalities of your existing audience. You’ll have to spend some time researching this audience and find out which platforms they are already using. Don’t be afraid to ask some of your trusted employees, friends, and family members who are involved in the day-to-day business.

Remember, that you should already have an existing base of customers, friends, and family members who will start as your audience.?Many get overwhelmed, as if they have to pull an audience out of thin air.?Everyone has an audience, you just don’t necessarily consider them an audience.

Take all of your research, compile it, review it, and based on that data, open a few social media accounts that you feel will best reach your ideal audience. If you're trying to reach the baby boomer generation, Snapchat is not the best option. Then, take a deep breath. Now, it’s time to start creating content. I highly suggest using Canva to create content. They have easy-to-use templates for multiple types of posts.

It’s easy to say, “create content.” What does that look like? What type of things do people want to see? Here are some guidelines.

Let’s start by defining our goals for your content.

1. You want to engage with your audience.
2. You want to add value to your audience.
3. You want to ask from your audience.

I totally understand that there is so much more you can do with social media, however, this will help you focus and not post stupid crap on your pages. Let’s dive a little deeper.

Engage with your audience.

Your goal should be to create content that provokes your audience to engage with you through likes, comments, messages, etc.?You can achieve this by posting videos that pose a question to your audience, host a Q&A, or ask questions that allow you to get know people that follow your pages.

Add value to your audience.

You want to provide information to your clients and customers that help them make a decision. Ultimately, this information should help them make a decision to purchase a product or services from your company. For example, if you owned a real estate agency, you may publish an article about mortgage interest rates, the status of the housing market and the best time to buy, or 5 questions to ask an agent before hiring them. By adding value, you build trust between your business and the consumer, increasing their chance of making a purchase.

You want to ask from your audience.

Of course, you want to ask your audience to purchase your product or services. Be direct. This is your chance to make your sales pitch. Talk about your product and give a clear call to action to customers to direct them to make a purchase. Avoid begging! You’re offering them an invitation.

I would engage and add value more than I ask for business. If you’re just getting started, set up a rotation of content that achieves each of these goals. Remember that you aren’t going to start with perfect posts. You will improve as you create, post, and experiment. Give yourself some grace and have fun!