Even though social media platforms have been around for awhile, there is still a lot of confusion over just how to use them to their best potential. Simply creating a LinkedIn or Facebook account and then letting it remain dormant to collect dust isn’t an effective strategy and won’t drive you leads. An effective social media strategy involves a dynamic plan for how you intend to use the different social media together in a cohesive and ongoing manner to meet your objectives and drive leads. It takes thought, it takes resources, and it takes some time. Make the commitment, and you’ll reap the rewards.
- Know your business and your customer.
Once you’ve determined who you are as a business and exactly whom you are targeting, then select the social media that makes sense for your business vertical and your prospects. Don’t try to be everything to everyone. Be strategic and tactical. Better to do three things really well than seven poorly.
- Create valuable content.
Every post, tweet, and update needs to focus on your big-picture objectives. So, choose your words and your platform wisely. Make sure you always have an end-goal in mind: download an e-book, click through to a special landing page, sign up for more info, attend a webinar, etc. Capture the information you collect and use it strategically to guide your prospects through the process.
- Use campaigns to create hype.
Social media campaigns add another valuable layer to your marketing plan. Thoughtful use of social media is a powerful tool that enables you to create hype around unveiling your new product, service, ad campaign, whatever. Social media is also a good (and inexpensive) opportunity for branching out in ways we just couldn’t do with traditional media. Take full advantage!
Social media enables us to extend our reach and communicate with prospects in several different manners. Put as much thought in to your social media campaign as you do other important areas of your business. Whatever approach you decide to take, keep it focused and on strategy and do it well.
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