How To Plan An Effective Social Media Strategy

There is no doubt social media presence is highly beneficial for brands. The number of social media users is constantly increasing, and given that your customers are incredibly present on these platforms, it is necessary you create your brand’s internet persona. This way, your loyal customers will be the first ones to follow your activity, while new ones will be able to find you easier.

Marketers have realized the importance of planning an effective social media marketing strategy, as there are 4.15 billion users who access social media platforms on smartphones. With half of the global population using these networking sites, it is vital you focus on curating your brand’s online presence and building an omnichannel strategy.

There are a few essential steps that stay at the core of every successful marketing strategy. A brand’s digital presence is more than just creating relevant content. Your target customer is the one guiding your strategy as you are working towards meeting their demand and adapting to their changing behaviors.

Target audience

It is vital you have a clear idea of who your target customer is and what are their buying behaviors and lifestyle habits. With them spending a great deal of time online, you will have to tailor the brand’s content according to what they follow and like on social media. Only this way can you bring them to your social media accounts and convince them to follow you. It is essential you create communication with your target audience. Given the interactive nature of social media platforms, they will like, comment, and share on your posts.

To build a trusting relationship, it is vital you engage with them and reply whenever possible. This will be beneficial for the brand, as you will get to know your audience even better. Similarly, your customers’ loyalty will increase if they feel you listen to their needs. Analytics will be able to provide you with an overview of your target audience, such as demographics. Relevant details like their age and education or area of work, as well as what interests them, will be helpful for your strategy. This way, you can create a relevant customer profile that you will have to keep in mind, as it will influence your social media presence.

Set goals

Implementing an effective social media marketing strategy is a team’s work. Discuss and set goals with your marketing department of what it is you want to achieve to be able to build and implement the marketing strategy correctly. It is essential you allocate time for each goal and prioritize its importance, to avoid getting overwhelmed and losing focus on what’s crucial for your brand.

Growing the follower base will be the first step, as this way, you will gain brand awareness. If you are at the beginning of the road and you’re about to launch your brand, you might feel inclined to grow your brand’s audience online by solely using ads. However, before jumping into investing in targeted ads, it is best to grow organically. It is a long-term goal; however, your audience will perceive the brand as more trustworthy. A good idea would be to have a combination of both, regardless of the size of the company.

Communicate with your team

Whenever you set a goal and achieve a milestone, it is crucial you maintain open communication with your team. Always share progress with your marketing department to keep track of the strategy’s success and check if anything needs improving. For instance, you could send weekly PDF reports between team members with data analytics. In case something needs to be changed, the PDF file can be edited accordingly by any team member. Specific tools allow you to make necessary notes or split PDF files if you have to highlight a particular part of the report. This way, you optimize time as a team and can correct the strategy promptly.

Asking for feedback from the project manager before implementing a strategy is also highly essential. They will be able to see the bigger picture and confirm whether the action plan is good to go or you need to work on improvements. Sending them the PDF containing the mission statement, how you will implement the strategy, together with a timeline of objectives, is an excellent way of showing your work. Moreover, it makes it easier for your manager to give feedback, as they can write comments and highlight specific areas.

Curate social media presence

Consistency is vital for a successful social media marketing strategy. Your customers need to be able to see the brand’s tone and identity across all social media accounts, its website, and within the physical stores. This way, they will associate your brand with someone who has a clear idea of their mission statement. In the U.S., 60% of people from generation Y value consistency, so it is crucial your brand’s presence in the online environment is curated effectively and matching all channels.

Creating relevant content while maintaining consistency is vital for keeping your target audience engaged with your brand. It is recommended you follow a specific theme on Instagram, for instance, so the profile looks clean and well thought. Besides professional photos, graphics can be helpful and easy to remember, as they are a great way to announce new product launches or an event. They can be as interactive as you want, and you have creative freedom to design visuals in accordance with your brand’s color palette and tone.

A way of maintaining your social media cohesive and consistent is by using digital tools that enable you to preview your account and schedule the confirmed posts. This will allow you to keep your brand’s account in line with the brand’s identity.

Create a timeline

Building an online presence on more than one platform is vital. Each social media platform has a different engagement rate, as people do not spend the same amount of time on all of them. So, you will be able to reach your loyal customers and new possible ones better and plan your posts accordingly.

Based on the data analytics from these networking sites, you can observe when your follower base is present on a social media platform. This way, you can create a timeline of your posts and schedule them in advance, according to your target audience usage. The long-term benefits of planning a timeline of your posts include an increased engagement and enhanced brand visibility.