Social media should be a part of every business marketing strategy, it’s an important tool and allows you to reach directly to your audience on a daily basis, not only that, for the most part, it’s free. Small businesses don’t often understand the inner workings of social media as a marketing tool and can often times become overwhelmed or handle their accounts in an unproductive manner. There are many more than 8 ways to derail from an excellent social media marketing plan. Here are just a few:
#1 Don’t Have A Strategy
Effective social media marketing starts with a strategy and a plan. Your social media marketing strategy lays the foundation and provides the roadmap for everything you are trying to accomplish through social media. This includes knowing your marketing goals and how social media can help you reach them, knowing your target audience and which social channels they engage in, and what types of content will draw your target audience in and result in sales conversions. This subject is covered very well in Sprout Social’s article here.
Focusing on our social media marketing plan, here’s what to keep in mind. Posting inconsistently or sporadically leads to a loss of momentum and a loss of interest from your followers. However, when you post consistently your followers start to recognize you and your brand. This builds credibility and dependability and positions you as a thought leader in your industry. It also allows you to form relationships with your followers as you earn their trust and respect.
So, what are the foundations of a social media marketing plan? You’ll need to decide the following:
- What to post
- When to post
- What channels to post on
- What tools to use for social media management
- Who in your organization will carry out the plan
#2 Make It All About You
When you start developing your social media marketing plan it’s easy to fall into the trap of making the majority of your posts about you and your business. After all, you’re trying to build a business so shouldn’t you be posting about your business? The answer is NO. Your goal is to build relationships. People want to do business with people they know, like and trust. Social media marketing is part of a long-term strategy for your business. Build a strong foundation and the business will come in time.
A good rule of thumb to follow when posting on social media is The Golden Ratio, developed by Rallyverse. Your content should be a mix of the following:
- 30% owned original content
- 60% curated content
- 10% promotional content
Read all 8 here
