So, you have decided that you want to use social media to promote your brand, products and services. Looking around it seems like many of your competitors and peers have jumped in and are doing pretty good. But you don’t want to be just good; you want your time and effort to yield GREAT results. What makes the difference in doing good or great? – A well thought out strategy and action plan.
To help you put your plan together, here are 5 key areas you need to address:
Describe your Brand, Product or Service
What is it that you are trying to sell? Can you explain to someone in 1 sentence what you are offering? Write it down so that you are clear and can recite it without hesitation.
Create a Purpose Statement
What is your purpose in using social media? Do you want to drive traffic to your website? Build your subscriber list? Increase brand visibility? Raise awareness for a cause or fundraising effort?
Know Your Target Audience
Based on the description and purpose statement, who would benefit from what you are offering? This is very important to consider because this can help you zone in on which social media networks will be the most effective. For example, you may find the type of people you are trying to attract may hang out on Linkedin more than Twitter or Facebook. You do not have to be on every social outlet if it does not make sense for your target audience. Knowing this information will allow you to see where you can concentrate most of your marketing efforts.
Establish measurable goals and objectives
Once you have determined your purpose and target audience, it is time to set some goals that can be measured. For example, instead of just saying, “Our goal is to increase website traffic”, it should be “Our goal is to increase website traffic resulting in 100 new leads within the next 3 months.” See the difference? By stating something that can be measured, you are now able to track your progress based on the specific number of leads and time frame given. Numbers can always be adjusted, but at least you have a starting point.
The next step to this would be the action plan…how will you increase website traffic to capture those leads? Maybe you will put a sign up form on your Facebook page and offer a giveaway for signing up!
Track and Monitor Your Efforts
If you want to know how much traffic you have coming to your site, you can add something like Google Analytics and other web-based tools to help you track the traffic. If you are trying to increase subscribers, check your log periodically and see when and where you seem to attract the most sign ups.
Taking the time to consider, review and write down the answers to these key areas, can save you a lot of time and energy. It also allows you to get focus on what your objectives are and sets the stage for success!
