How to create a social media marketing strategy

You wouldn’t start building a house without a plan and you shouldn’t spend time and money on social media without a strategy. Here are a few of our tips on getting started:

1. Set your objectives

Look at the bigger picture and set your social media goals to align with your overall business’ goals.  You could consider the following:

• Lead generation

• Website traffic

• Brand awareness and engagement

• Revenue growth

• Social listening

• Community building

2. Define your unique value proposition

Differentiate yourself and make your business stand out for all the good reasons.  Link back to the uniqueness of your brand through content that is of high quality, adds value to your followers and is visually attractive. Having a unique hashtag or using specific keywords can be a great reminder to be included with your social media updates.

3. Profile your ideal customer

Be clear on who are you marketing to. Define search words that they would use on their social media profiles and hashtags they use so you can tailor your communication accordingly. Look at your best performing content and keywords to define what is it that they are looking for or are interested in.

4. Pick the right social media networks

Not all the channels work for everyone. Think as your potential clients – consider which platforms would you prefer to use and what content would you be interested in. It’s better to focus on fewer networks but pick the ones that are the most effective, depending on the nature of your business and clients’ preference. 

5. Craft your digital story

Social media networks are the ideal platforms for digital storytelling. Using visual and written content and having a consistent, unique story is an effective way to generate and maintain your audience’s interest. Craft your story focused on relevant keywords and visuals before you start looking at the tactics. Share your journey with your followers – tell them about how your products are created, who are the people behind them and what makes them unique.

6. Create a tactical plan

Once you are clear on the bigger picture, create a tactical plan with defined channels, type of content, estimated timings and roles. Set yourself some realistic goals to achieve on weekly, monthly or quarterly basis and keep track of progress. Create a visual calendar with a simple table and list all the social media activities you have planned. 

7. Schedule a regular audit

A social media audit is an effective way to reflect on what is working best in terms of return on investment. The audit will give you a good idea about which post types are most popular and are driving website traffic. It also helps to identify best times to post, hashtags and most effective social networks. And you can then focus on doing more of what works best.