Did you know there are approximately 2.078 billion active social media accounts globally? Social media is big business. Everyone is talking about it and just about everyone seems to be using it, whether that’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn. It makes total sense for businesses to be on social media too; not just as another marketing technique, but a new way of connecting with customers and providing amazing customer service.

A solid social media strategy is essential for any business looking to make the move online. Check out these essential tips beforehand to create a successful social media strategy that’s worthy of your business.

 

Business Goals

First and foremost, you should revisit your business goals before diving head first into the world of social media. Every business should have a set of goals they’re aiming for, without them it’s probably doomed to fail! If you need any help with your business goals, check out our CEBA programme. Ask yourself what you want to get from your social media accounts, which could be anything from increasing brand awareness to customer service and sales. Whatever your goals, focus on just a couple at a time or the ones that you feel are most important to your business; it makes managing your strategy much easier and gives you a better chance of succeeding with it.

 

Choose Your Networks Wisely

Signing up to every single social network known to man might sound like a really good idea if you’re trying to get your name out there, but trust us when we say that you’re better off managing one or two accounts. This will save you a huge amount of time, that way you can concentrate on growing your chosen accounts rather than having to keep swapping between accounts and remembering to constantly update them.

 

Target Audience

So you know exactly who your target audience but not sure how to target them online? Why not create character persona’s of the people you really want to aim your business at. Think of aspects such as age, gender, personality traits and likes and dislikes to distinguish the people you wish to target, it will make the content you share a lot easier to think of. The content you share will encourage engagement with potential and existing customers and help you retain your loyal followers.

 

Content

One of the most important aspects of a social media strategy is the content; what will you be sharing with your followers? The content you share should be in line with your business goals and relevant to the people you’re targeting; sharing things irrelevant to you could damage your online reputation. Mix up the different kinds of media content you share online too; videos, images, infographics and interesting links are great ways to engage with people and gain shares. Don’t be afraid to retweet other peoples content too as it can help you build up your followers and connections.

 

Competition

Are you finding it hard to post exciting and engaging content that will get your followers talking? Why not check out your competitors social media accounts for inspiration? They are competing for the same customers as your business after all and it’s a really easy way of developing your social media strategy. Look at the content they are sharing with their followers, taking note at the amount of shares as well as how they actually speak to customers. It’s a brilliant way of thinking of innovative ways to engage with your potential customers as well as identifying areas for improvement.

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