With half of the population on earth using social media, it is uncommon to find a brand or business that does not capitalize on this trend to grow followers, create leads, and boost sales.

The dilemma for marketers is not whether to invest in social media marketing, but how to develop a successful social media strategy that supports the overall company and sales goals. Well-planned, responsible, and, agile social media strategies are essential in a dynamic market with fierce competition and a rapidly changing public mood.

Exploring the world of social media can be tedious, which is why we share our ideas for creating a social media strategy to help you define your social goals, interact with your audience, and optimize your strategy for better outcomes. However, you will first need to analyze your current strategies and see why they are not working. Simultaneously, you will need to see what your customers want that you do not provide.

This will require you to have a good internet connection that does not slow down or create lags. For that consider getting a tried and tested internet service provider (ISP), such as Cox. Cox internet plans are versatile, economical, and suited to their varied customer requirements. More importantly, they provide a secure connection, without the need for a long-term contract. So your company’s data will be in safe hands too.

While online research is important, there are a few basics you should know when designing your strategy. Here is what we think you need to keep in mind:

1.    An audit

First, look at what your marketing team has achieved so far on your respective social media accounts. With a social media audit, you can analyze what works, determine if you need additional resources, and compare your results with those of your competitors.

Start asking for social media analytics for the entire period you are tracking, for example, the last twelve months. Get both audience and content analytics for each platform so you can measure performance and development over time. You will need to evaluate:

• The activities on the accounts
• Branding such as logos, URLs, etc.
• Competitors pages and compare
• Best and least performing content

2.    Develop goals

The first step will now trickle down into the development of your objectives. It is critical to evaluate and identify what was missing and what you hope to achieve now. Each of your social media strategies will have to be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. You will also have to ensure that they align with your other strategies. Some examples of common goals include:

• Increasing traffic flow to the website
• Generating leads
• Increasing customer engagement

3.    Revise target audience profile

To exploit the value you get from social media marketing, you need to know your customer base. If you already have a buyer persona or customer profile set up, review it with your team and decide if it needs to be updated.

This is because audiences can vary from platform to platform, and it is a good idea to check the demographics of your subscribers or followers. This way, you can be sure that you know exactly how to create the most effective content for each social media network.

4.    Define Key Performance Indicators

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are an integral part of your social media marketing strategy as they help you understand the effectiveness of your marketing content and campaigns.

In this phase of your social media strategy, you determine what metrics you will use to measure the success of your content or promotions. 

KPIs help in recognizing problem areas so you can take corrective action before the problem escalates. They will also help you determine what type of content works best so you can provide more of what works. So select KPIs that align with social media goals.

5.    Competitor analysis

Keep a close eye on your competition. How do they market their products or services and how do they compare to yours? Classify the social media platforms your competitors use, track what they post, their marketing messages, how they interact with users, what hashtags they use, and their posts.

You can begin by grouping your competitors by similarity, and then use a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis to get a better idea of how you are doing against your competitors. Determine what makes competitors weaker and stronger, and what opportunities you have for growth.

6.    Asses and adjust

This is probably the most significant step when it comes to social media success. Even renowned social media marketers rely on trial and error, it does not always work the first time.

Once you start tracking your results and examining the data, you can use it to reevaluate your strategy. By reviewing your data regularly, you can understand what works and what does not and test different messages, campaigns, and strategies.

A good social media strategy is a work in progress and should change as trends emerge, but these tips can help lay a solid foundation for your social media campaigns right from the start.

Summing it up

In a decidedly competitive market where customers value relationships with brands they love, a social media strategy is an integral part of your marketing tactics. Your strategy should include best practices and the use of marketing tools to help you plan, implement, and monitor your social media marketing plans so you can make informed, data-driven decisions that drive ROI.

Kenneth

Kenneth is a proud native of sydney, born and raised there. However, he pursued his education abroad and studied in Australia. Kenneth has worked as a journalist for almost a decade, making valuable contributions to prominent publications such as Yahoo News and The Verge. Currently, he serves as a journalist for The Hear Up, where he focuses on covering climate and science news. You can reach Kenneth at [email protected].