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Have you tried posting to your social media accounts or dancing to the latest TikTok craze and it didn’t lead to more sales? It’s true that social media is a powerful way to reach your target audience. But if we think it is easy or quick, we will be disappointed in the long run. Sure, a quick post to your Facebook business page may create a few likes and maybe a quick sale or you get a word of mouth recommendation in a local group. That’s awesome! We love that, right?
It is clear that engagement on most social media platforms is way down and the cost for paid social advertising has increased tremendously. If you have been marketing your business using social media, I am sure you have noticed this over the last two years or so. Online activity is up but our ability to get noticed and get people interacting with our products or services is more and more difficult.
A good social media strategy can lead to long term sustainable growth.
Social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn and Facebook are in the marketing mix we recommend for all of our clients. With 70% of consumers on at least one social media platform, it is extremely effective.
So let’s make sure your social media tactics are bringing you the most impact for the time and money you put into them. I’ve compiled these 7 points for improving your social media that will be the foundation of every effort you put forth regardless of the platform you choose.
1. Stick to the pillars of your brand.
Every business post, reel, story or video should speak to who you are as a brand. While the occasional nod to a viral trend or something personal like an employee’s birthday is fine (or pics of my dogs – I can’t help myself), too much can dilute your message. Don’t waste your time posting content that doesn’t align with your brand.
2. Schedule your posts. Your day is already jam-packed. Take away the stress of scrambling to come up with content.
Most platforms offer the ability to schedule a month or more of content in advance. This is so important in ensuring your content is strategic and tied to your goals. It also gives you the flexibility to add the occasional last minute story or piggyback onto a hot trend to get momentum.
As you understand your brand pillars, plan your social media content at least 2-6 weeks out. You can always go in and adjust, but by scheduling, your messages are deliberate, well thought out and ultimately more effective and engaging. Think of your social media as a strategic tool and not something for instant gratification or that quick sale.
3. Consistency. Whatever platforms you decide to use, commit to being as consistent as possible with posting. The ideal cadence of when to post and how often varies by social media platform but the best advice is to get started, be consistent and monitor the analytics to see what is working for you. If it is working, focus on those tactics before expanding into other types of content or on other platforms.
4. Don’t always be selling. Gary Vaynerchuk (Gary Vee) has a classic book called Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook in which he explains how it is important to give and provide value before trying to sell on social media.
In other words, if you’re posting four times per week on a platform, the rhythm should be 1. provide value, 2. share something useful, 3. give something away, and lastly 4. Talk about your business (share a sale, product, or even with a call to action). Give more than you ask and it will pay off over the long term.
5. Have a call to action. Most of us don’t want to be sold to. We can usually see through messages that are more about getting a sale out of us than just sharing useful or entertaining content. When you do share an offer, a discount or something about your product or service, have a clear call to action.
A call to action is instructing the viewer on what they should do next. How can they interact with you further? How can they find out more? Be sure to make this as easy for them as possible. Maybe include a phone number or a link to a landing page for that product or service you are sharing. It could be as simple as asking them a question so they engage with your content and thus share it with their friends and followers. Be sure that your sales posts/content gives the consumer the path of least resistance to interact with your company.
6. Don’t get caught up in vanity metrics. Vanity metrics are things like the number of likes or comments on a post or the number of views of a reel or video. These are important in knowing what content is resonating with your audience, but it doesn’t always lead to revenue.
You should have an understanding of what posts get the most engagement or when viewers drop off of your YouTube video – those are important details and can help you gain insight into your followers and inform what future content should be. However, all those views don\’t necessarily lead to more sales. Be mindful of the difference.
7. Stay current. Social media changes faster than any other medium. It is essential to stay current on the latest trends, technology, algorithm changes and more. Don’t rely on an intern or someone at your company just because they are young and comfortable using social media. That is not enough to make effective use of social media for business growth.
Consider hiring a professional. Having a dedicated team whose job is to stay current and utilize the perfect social media tools that will work for your business will give you the competitive advantage and allow you to focus on your expertise, not chasing down the latest viral dance moves.
If you’d like an assessment of your social media strategy, contact us today.
If you’d like to take your marketing to the next level, sign up for 11 one-to-one sessions with me, Jan Southern.