Developing a social media strategy is essential for any business, but simply creating a Facebook won’t automatically benefit your company. Here are four steps for focusing in on your social media goals so you can reach them faster.
- Optimize for Mobile
The first step to making social media a successful marketing tool actually has to do with your own website design. People who click through from social media are likely to be on mobile devices, so mobile optimized websites are simply a must, whether you’re working with professional web design services or doing your own web design.
If you’re not convinced spending money on optimizing for mobile is worth it, consider these statistics: About half of mobile users say they use their phones as their primary access to the Internet, and 74% of mobile users say they’re more likely to return to a website if it’s mobile-friendly. The good and bad news is that only 26% of businesses currently have a mobile-capable website. This means that you can satisfy your customers and get a jump on the competition in one fell swoop.
- Identify Your Audience
Before you go around setting up accounts on any social media platform you can find, look at the demographic info of your current customers and/or target market. Then find out what social media platforms are most likely to reach that group.
Also think about what your users are most likely to do on a widely used site like Facebook. Video contests, for example, might not appeal to all Facebook users equally. Most social media sites have demographic information and records of clicks, likes, etc. built in, so you should take advantage of those tools or purchase more advanced ones.
- Set Goals for Each Platform
Set measurable goals for each social media platform you decide to utilize. Developing a social media strategy is impossible without specific milestones you want to reach; you can’t know if you’re being successful unless you set a metric for that success.
- Analyze, Adjust, Repeat
Creating a social media strategy is, in many ways, just like creating in-person networks; using certain conventions or “best practices” are good ways to start, but you need to be constantly listening and ready to change. This may involve looking at your account and site stats, but it also may be as simple as directly asking your users to tweet their suggestions.
Depending on the size of your company, you may have the same person running all your social media accounts. If this is true, remember that it’s important to have separate strategies for each one. If one of your accounts is driving traffic to your site and another isn’t, try to figure out whether that’s simply a less effective platform for your business (due to demographic, organization or anything else—in which case you may want to focus your efforts elsewhere) or whether you’re using the wrong tactics. Reformulate your strategy for that platform, measure the results, and see what works and what doesn’t.
What recommendations do you have for a business developing a social media strategy? Share your tips in the comments. Read more like this.
