A proper and upgraded social media marketing strategy is essential for any organisation looking to thrive in a highly competitive business environment.
Digital marketing is in itself a buzzword for many organisations; a term that is thoroughly misunderstood by many. While the pitfalls of a proper social media strategy are many, it is possible to beat and overcome them, by abiding by certain guidelines.
Seven essentials of a social media strategy –
Know your audience:
The primary step to start a social media strategy is to know your audience, for which a lot of research is in order. At times, even the best minds in the industry can fail to identify which niche they are catering to. That can be a fatal mistake, however; you can end up distancing more traffic than you attract. Identifying your ideal niche is easy when you know what problems you are trying to solve and who your readers are likely to be. It is ideal to also check the demographic constituents of your audience.
Share common social media platforms with your audience:
Do most of your readers have a Facebook account? Well then, Facebook marketing should most definitively top your social media strategy. If, on the other hand, most of your readers are interested in Instagram, Pinterest or LinkedIn, you should tailor your strategy accordingly.
Identify your KPIs:
KPIs or Key Performance Indicators are the measures of progress on the various fronts of your business. KPIs are crucial in a digital marketing strategy as well, for they help identify which areas are doing well and which ones need more ideation. There are no two organisations which have perfectly identical KPIs, so you need to frame one which suits your company’s needs.
Let people know of your long-term strategies:
An organisation is only as good as its employees are. Are you sure your colleagues, peers or employees are aware of your social media marketing plans? If not, such miscommunication can lead to dangerous lacunae. All teams in a company must work in tandem with each other to achieve growth, and social media is a huge component of growth.
Prepare for each week:
Statistics and empirical data show how people’s search queries change over time, even in a span of weeks. If something extraordinary has happened recently, like a change in Google’s algorithms, search queries may change every day. Hence, smart managers must prepare for each week at a time, which will then become a blueprint for a long-term plan. Facebook marketing trends must be updated each week as well.
Post relevant and fresh content:
Nothing attracts more viewers and more clicks than fresh content. Search engines will not rank your website suitably if you do not update your site’s content from time to time. Everything you post must reflect your long-term plans and the tastes of your target audience.
Schedule monthly metrics analysis:
Leave aside some time each month to analyse site metrics and how well your social media marketing strategy worked. That will leave an impression on the areas which require further attention. Lastly, it will also enable all the parties and teams responsible for strategising further.
Social media strategies do not abide by cut and dried routines; they are dynamic. Hence, they should be handled with care, ideally by a professional agency which has extensive experience in SMM. While results may take some time coming, they will definitely bear fruit given enough windows of opportunity.
