Real life conversation:

Person: “So what do you do?”

Me: “I run social media for AAPL and Think Realty, and…”

Person: “So, you get paid to scroll Facebook and post memes all day?”

This is the part where I take a couple deep breaths and mentally go to my happy place.

Social media has become an essential part of a business’s marketing strategy and allows companies to connect with their customers, share their products or services, and increase brand awareness. Some people are genuinely surprised to learn that growing a brand’s social media presence is more than posting a few updates and scrolling. To be successful, it takes time, effort, and strategy to build a strong presence that drives results.

Who do you want to talk to?

The first step to grow your social media is to define your target audience. You need to know who you are trying to reach before you can effectively reach them. Your target audience will determine which platforms you should focus on, the type of content you should create, and the tone of your messages. Using tools like Google Analytics, Facebook Audience Insights, or Twitter Analytics can help gather insights about your audience.

What are you trying to achieve?

The next step is to define your goals, which is something that will change with every campaign. Do you want to increase brand awareness? Drive traffic to your website? Generate sales leads? Whatever your goals are, make sure they are specific, measurable, achievable, and have a reasonable deadline. This will help you to stay focused and track your progress.

Which platforms are right for me?

In the Declaration of Independence it says, “Not all social media platforms are created equal,” Okay, maybe not, BUT it is true: not all platforms are equal and not all will work for your business. For example, if your target audience is mainly professionals, LinkedIn is probably the best way to connect with your clients. If you have a business with visually appealing products, Instagram or Pinterest may be more appropriate. This is where the research you did on your target audience is going to help determine which platforms they are using, so you can focus your efforts on those.

Which platforms are right for me?

Content is king in the land of social media, and it is the fuel that powers your online presence. Creating a content strategy involves developing a plan for the type of content you’ll create, how often you’ll post, and the topics you’ll cover. When creating content, make sure it is relevant, engaging, and adds value to your followers. Your content needs be consistent with your brand’s image and voice, so make sure to use the same colors, logo, and messaging across all platforms. Using consistent branding helps create a sense of trust and reliability, making it easier for customers to recognize and remember your brand. Posting frequency varies from platform to platform, but it’s essential to post regularly to keep your followers engaged (more on that later).

Create high-quality content

Creating high-quality content is critical to gaining and engaging your followers. Your content should be visually appealing, informative, and relevant to your target audience. Make sure it is shareable so your followers can share your brand’s content if they feel inclined to do so. Pictures, graphics (yes, even memes), and videos are shared more often and liked than text-only posts. Also, be sure to use industry-specific hashtags, trending hashtags, and branded hashtags to increase your reach and engagement. When you’re creating content, ask yourself if this is something you would want to see or find beneficial if you were a customer.

You don’t have to do it ALL yourself!

User-generated content (UGC) is any content created by your customers or followers, such as photos, videos, or reviews. Sharing UGC on your social media channels not only saves you time and effort in creating new content, but it also helps build trust and credibility with your audience.

Engage, interact & connect

Social media is a two-way street. This is one step that so many forget to do because it is one of the easiest to do. You must interact with your audience, it’s really that simple! When you don’t engage with your audience, you’re talking AT them and not WITH them. Connect with your followers by responding to comments, messages, and reviews which shows that you value their opinions. You can also engage your audience by asking questions, hosting polls, and sharing user-generated content. Engaging with your audience helps to create a sense of community around your brand.

Paid advertising

While organic social media reach is valuable, it’s becoming increasingly challenging to gain traction without paid advertising. Paid advertising allows businesses to reach a larger audience and target specific demographics, interests, and behaviors. It also offers a measurable return on investment (ROI) and allows you to test different ads to determine what works best for your audience. Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn offer various advertising options, including sponsored posts and targeted ads to reach your ideal audience.

Monitor and analyze

To ensure that your strategy is effective, you need to analyze your performance regularly. Use analytics tools to track your performance, such as the number of followers, engagement rates, and website traffic. This data will help you optimize your strategy and make necessary adjustments to achieve your goals.

Remember, social media is not a one-size-fits-all approach, so it’s important to tailor your strategy to your business’s unique needs and audience. By following these best practices, you can create a social media strategy that helps you achieve your goals and stand out from the competition. Now, back to posting memes…