Social Media Strategy - 7 Simple Steps!

Does your small business have a social media strategy in place? Most small businesses only think of social media as an after thought. Facebook has over 1.15 BILLION users & 23% of those users log in at least 5 times per day! Consider all the opportunities to interact & engage with your customers & potential customers through social media.

I recently presented to a group of small business owners on creating their social media strategy in just 7 simple steps. This simple strategy can be created quickly & implemented in about an hour a week. In addition, my friend, Beth Johnston who is the owner of Social Bridges co-presented on tips & tricks for Facebook, Twitter, & Pinterest.

Here are the steps for developing your social media strategy:

1. Identify Your Target Audience: Consider who it is you are really trying to reach, where do they spend most of their time online, & how can you best help them? Once you have this "ideal client" clearly defined, a quick Google search will tell you which platform makes the most sense for you to focus on.

2. Clearly Define Your Message: You need to share information online that matters to your clients. How can you help them? A good way to get started defining your message is to make a list of frequently asked questions & start by answering them.

3. Determine Your Goals: These goals can be anything from simply connecting with your clients, to building your email list, selling more of your product, or getting people into you place of business. Be realistic & as specific as possible with your goals.

4. Brainstorm Your Offerings: Create Relevant, Interesting, Timely, and Engaging/Educational (RITE) content that positions your business as the expert in your industry. Consider sharing information you already have available; brochures, blog posts, FAQ's, etc.

5. Set a Budget & Schedule for your Resources: Think about how much time you can dedicate to social media. Be honest with yourself....it typically  takes longer than you expect, especially when you are first getting started.

6. Set Limits & Benchmarks: Determine which platforms are best for your business & then be consistent with your posts. It takes time to build an audience online, I recommend giving it 6 months minimum.

7. Experiment, Test, & Measure: Monitor where, when, & what is getting the most engagement from your audience. Adjust accordingly.

Here's the PDF including the Social Media Strategy along with tips for Facebook, Twitter, & Pinterest.

Click here for the PDF: Social Media Strategy & Tips

If you are interested in learning more about Social Media & you are in the Denver Metro area join our Social Media 101 Meetup