Start With a Plan

Before you begin creating social media marketing campaigns, consider your business’s goals. Starting a marketing campaign without a social strategy in mind is like trying to find your way around a rainforest without a map or compass – you enjoy it for a while, but you will more than likely get lost or worse.

Here are some questions to ask when defining your social media marketing goals:

  • What are you hoping to achieve through social media marketing?
  • Who is your target audience?
  • Where would your target audience hang out and how would they use social media?
  • What message do you want to send to your audience?

Your business should inform and drive your social media marketing strategy.

For example, an e-commerce business, being highly visual, can get a lot of value from a strong presence on Instagram or Pinterest. A business-to-business company might find more leverage in Twitter or Linkedin.

How social media marketing can help you meet your marketing goals

Social media marketing can help with a number of goals, such as:

  • Increasing website traffic.
  • Building conversions.
  • Raising brand awareness.
  • Creating a brand identity and positive brand association.
  • Improving communication and interaction with key audiences.

The bigger and more engaged your audience is on social media networks, the easier it will be for you to achieve every other marketing goal on your list!

Here are a few tips:

  • Your content should be great – We covered this in more detail on this blog post. Make sure you post regularly and offer your followers valuable information that is both helpful, and interesting. Don’t forget to include images, graphics, videos etc.
  • Your brand image should be consistent – Each platform is different, but your business’ identity should stay consistent, whether it’s fun, trustworthy, or reliable!
  • Competitors – You are able to keep an eye on them, and they can provide valuable information for your keyword research and other marketing insights.
  • Analytics – You can’t determine the success or failure of your social media marketing strategies without tracking data! Google Analytics will help you measure your most triumphant social media marketing techniques. Make sure you use the analytics within each social platform, too.

See our social media marketing course