With the advent of social media platforms, businesses across the world have changed their outlook towards marketing. Back in the 2000s, when social media was still a mystery being deciphered, businesses often asked ‘Is social media for me?’, or ‘Should I make a social media plan?’. These questions are now being replaced by ‘How can I make a successful social media plan?’. Today, it is implicit that if you have a business, you need to have a social media presence.
However, not one strategy fits all. Different businesses and brands need to take a different approach when they are planning a social kickstart. Here are 4 quick tips that will help you in building a successful social media plan –
1. Audit your Social Media Accounts
If you have social media accounts in place, you need to do a thorough audit of the same. Be it Facebook, LinkedIN, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram, you should ensure these basic hygiene checks –
- Images: Do your social media profiles contain your brand logo, and a cover photo? Make sure you get the cover photos designed according to the required size, else the image will stretch and pixelate.
- Bio and URL: A good, catchy bio about your company, and your website URL are a must. They not only inform your customers about your business, but also direct them to take action.
There are various other audits one must perform. Using a social media tool can help you in this regard.
2. Build a Customer Profile
One of the Golden Rules of social media marketing is that you do not chase everyone out there on the web. You should define your target customer very well and build an ideal consumer profile. This will ensure that you are optimizing your efforts to reach out to the right kind of people on the web. This includes –
- Age
- Educational Qualification and Income
- Geographic Location
- Latent Needs and Wants
- Psychographic and Behavioural Traits
3. Define your KPIs
Why do you want to engage in social media marketing? The answer to this question should stem from your business objectives, and your current standing in the market. Are you a new entrant in a market? Then your objective maybe Brand Awareness. Are you looking for market share? Then your social media KPI might be Share of Voice. Keeping a measurable KPI is essential to know what the social media activity has helped you to achieve.
4. Create a Content Calendar
‘Content is the King’ is a common phrase among social media experts. Content is important, but timing it well is vital. You need to keep posting frequently, and at regular intervals. A content calendar looks somewhat like this, and helps you in ensuring that your social media page never remains dull –
A content calendar keeps you on track and maintains consistency of posting.
You also need to do research in order to find out what kind of content works for your target audience. Do they like memes? Are they interested in videos? This will help you in building the right kind of content. Hope this helps you kickstart your social media plan!