Social media can work wonders for brand engagement with your business, the first step to implementing a strategy for your business looks at how it fits into your digital marketing overall.
To find the answer to that question a business needs to consider these areas before even starting:
What is your business mission and vision?
Especially in today's time, the discerning consumer is interested in why your business exists? What do you believe in, what does your brand stand for, where is your business headed in the future. The ultimate outcome to this question is: what problem are you solving for your client.
What is your story?
People want to hear about people, questions to consider:
- Why did you start your business?
- How did you get to where you are?
- What challenges have you overcome?
- Who are your cheerleaders and your team?
Purchasing a product or service comes with emotional and rational attachment. By showing you're human, and the human side of your business you are creating a tie to your client.
What success measures do you have in place?
If you do not have a plan, plan to fail. Your business needs a road map with realistic and stretching goals in place... and the measures in place to determine success and strategy changes. Make sure your goals are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timely.)
What products and services do you offer?
Spend time to look at your offerings, what do you actually sell: what is a product, a service? What is your aftercare plan? What is the value to the client? What problem are you solving? Ensure you have a holistic offering and look for improvements and gaps you can fill, not only in the marketplace but with your own business offerings.
What are others in your industry doing?
Knowing what is happening in your industry, especially on the back of Covid-19, is valuable knowledge.
- What trends and innovations are happening?
- What are you competitors doing?
- Who is online and selling now that wasn't before?
- What weaknesses and threats do your competitors pose?
- Where are people's needs not being met?
From here you can review your own business strategy, and in addition to reviewing your offerings can tailor make a solution to meet your client's needs. The look to communicating it in an appealing, concise way that matches your brand.
Who are your clients?
Being all things to all people is not a recipe for success. Focus on the largest section of your target audience with your marketing efforts. Complete a full target audience analysis and create your persona include: gender, age, income, education, values, lifestyle, disposable income etc).
Do you have clear messaging?
By having a clear message your marketing can be cohesive, your branding can tie together and you can present a business that knows what they are talking about to your audience. Craft your positioning statement, and ensure you and your team know this, live it, breathe it.
Fitting it all together
If you have considered the areas above you are now in a position to apply your knowledge to your current social media activity.
- Where is your target audience - Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram or somewhere else?
- Do they use messaging apps, prefer chatbots, engage with ads?
- You can now trial different types of posts and measure engagement levels. If you are running ads, check on conversion rates (ie. phone calls/email enquiries) to your business.
- Make adjustments as needed, social media is not a static marketing tool, it changes as people, circumstances, the environment and the economy changes.
One final tip, remember cohesiveness with your branding, spend the time to make sure your website, email marketing, email signature, social media platforms, written communications, newspaper and radio ads all have a similar and cohesive message. This helps promote memory retention with your audience.