(3 min. read)
If you’re looking to attract new customers, increase your business’s market reach, or simply build brand awareness, then an active social media presence must be an essential component of your marketing efforts. According to the Search Engine Journal, 84% of Americans use at least one social media network. Before you dive into the ocean of social media options and become overwhelmed, here are some things to do first.
Identify your audience
Regardless of your overall social media strategy, be certain you are connecting with your target audience. It may help to create fictional customers called personas. Include such information as:
- Age and gender
- Education level
- Employment status
- How they currently interact with your business
- How your business solves their problems or needs
- What they do online: social media, read blogs, shop, etc.
Here is an example persona:
Mary Suburbanite, Teacher
Mary works at the local high school. She is 35 years old and lives in the suburbs. She drives 25 miles round-trip to work. She lives with her husband, who works from home. She does not have any children of her own. Mary is responsible for purchasing school art supplies for her classroom. At home she uses her iPad to check out Pinterest for craft ideas and when she is at work, uses her smartphone to access Facebook on her breaks to find out what is going on where she lives.
Determine which platform is most used by your audience
After you have created one or more personas for your audience, make a list of the top three to five social media platforms that came up during the creation. Do some quick research on the feel for each platform. Some have a local feel to them (Facebook), others feel as if they have a more global reach (YouTube). Search on the platforms for accounts of your competition or similar brands. Are they active on that platform? Are they posting regularly and engaging with their audience?
Does the platform match with your company?
There will probably be more than one social media platform that would work with your personas. Consider the culture or personality of your own business or brand. Match that up with the social media platform. Does your business offer product imagery that should be showcased? If so, Instagram may be the best choice. Are you a service-oriented business that needs to tell a story? Maybe LinkedIn fits the bill. If your business is edgy, fast-paced and visual, then TikTok might be the right choice over YouTube, for example. If your demographic is female, age 18 to 29 then Facebook is not where you will find them. However, you may find their parents on that platform and maybe the parents have the buying power; in which case you might consider two platforms.
How much time can you commit?
Making a TikTok or YouTube video takes more time than creating a simple Facebook post. Determine how much time you can allocate to maintain your social media presence. Include the time it will take to answer questions or comments that your followers post. Maintain a consistent branding and marketing look and feel to your posts. Set up templates, posting guidelines and internal do’s and don’ts to maintain consistency. Finally, create a posting schedule that you can maintain.
Remember your goals
Now that you have determined your audience and selected a platform or two, go back to your social media strategy and overall marketing goals. How does each platform align with those goals? Which one feels the most organic when it comes to engaging with your audience? Is there value in utilizing more than one platform? Sometimes it is best to do one thing and do it well. If you’re just getting started, pick one platform. Find what works for you and your audience.
Creating compelling, relevant content that connects your business with existing customers, while driving new customers in the door is incredibly important, but it’s time-consuming work. We are here to help!
GLM Custom delivers social media packages custom tailored to fit the needs and meet the goals of our clients. Ask us to build a strategy and management plan that’s perfect for your business! Visit us at www.glminc.com.