What’s your Social Media Strategy?
Facebook, Twitter, Google + … social media is changing daily. You don’t have time to keep up with it do you? Yet, you know you need to use it in your business. The question is how.
You need a plan for your social media to make it effective. Setting goals and mapping out a strategy will save you a huge amount of time in the long run by helping you to see what’s working and what’s not.
Here’re 3 ways you can put your own plan in place for your business.
1) Develop Goals (make them specific). Your goals can be to get 1500 Facebook “likes”, increase your leads by 10%, create more loyalty with your prospects by offering them valuable information or any number of other possibilities.
2) Find out where your prospects hang out online. If you don’t know, ask them. I had a florist client tell me, “all the brides are on Facebook”. It made sense for her to be there too. Look at where your competition is what are they doing that seems to be generating a lot of interaction. Make notes.
3) Develop a plan. How often will you post. What will you post? You can script it out for yourself. For example, you can plan to post 3 times a week and plan your content ahead of time.
Will you share videos? Photographs? Articles? How much content will you create and how much will originate with other sources? Think through these questions and make a plan for yourself.
Have a Services Business?
Whether you’re a lawyer, accountant or dentist you can use social media to connect with your clients.
Where are your clients spending time online? Go there. Be part of the conversation. Share useful tips and strategies, articles you read and be the helpful expert. When you do, you’re building visibility and trust. When they need an accountant, business coach, financial planner or graphic designer, you’ll be the one who comes to mind.
Have a bricks and mortar business like a retail shop or restaurant?
Go Local. That’s essential to your social media strategy. Facebook, 4 Square, Groupon, and Twitter can all help you build a strong local following. Want to bring in more customers on Tuesdays? Have a lot of leftover chicken specials to sell today? Create a campaign that gets the word out so you fill those seats and move that merchandise.
Of course, the key in all of this is to make your time well-spent on these networks. You do have to create a targeted plan, otherwise it’s too easy to spend hours and days not getting anywhere. No one has time for that!
Need help deciding on your goals? Download your goal setting worksheet here and get started.
Jen Phillips April writes SEO website copy, blogs, dreams in tweets and helps clients get noticed for the right reasons on social media. Get my Special Report, 5 Social Media Marketing Mistakes Businesses Make and receive my newsletter, Social Media Tips to turn YOU into a marketing machine!
