by Line Storgaard-Conley and Stacey Piper
Step 1 – Outline your goals. Use the S.M.A.R.T. goal method to develop achievable goals:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Relevant
- Time-bound
Step 2 – Develop your budget. Decide how much you want to invest in social media marketing:
- Staff time or consultant time
- Advertising
- Platform-specific analytics
Step 3 – Establish your target audience. Establishing your target audience for your social media strategy will help you determine the types of content you want to create and/or promote and which social media platforms you should use.
Step 4 – Research the competition. Look at your competitor’s profiles and overall social media presence. It will help you generate ideas and establish appropriate content within your industry.
Step 5 – Choose your platforms. After determining your target audience and reviewing your competitors’ social media presence, you have a better idea of where to start. Consider just starting with one or two channels.
Step 6 – Make your social media profiles consistent. By creating a uniform look across your social media platforms, you establish your company’s brand. Five things to keep consistent:
- Profile picture
- Username
- Background/cover photo
- Bio
- Posts
Step 7 – Create a social media calendar. By creating a social media calendar, you can stay organized and help plan out your content. You can use a calendar on your computer to track content and an excel spreadsheet or purchase software designed specifically for social media planning.
Step 8 – Develop social media guidelines for your staff. It is very helpful to create guidelines for your staff they can use when engaging with customers. Having a guide will help ensure staff knows how to answer questions, give constructive feedback or praise.
Step 9 – Conduct a social media audit. A social media audit is a review to determine if what your social media strategy has accomplished. Look at data like the number of followers, likes, usernames, comments, and other metrics to determine success.
Step 10 – Be open to new trends. Like any effective marketing strategy, it is necessary to adjust your social media strategy based on where your customers are, new social media trends, change in your business goals and objectives, or other factors.
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