You have been using social media to market your products for a while, but you aren’t getting the results you want. You either get little engagement or lots of engagement that doesn’t convert to profits. Here are a few things you can do to self-correct.
- Get clear about what you are doing (and not doing) well.
Are you in the right spaces? Are you creating the kind of content your tribe craves? Are you asking for the results you want? Start by auditing your social presence and determining where you are.
- What social platforms are you currently active on?
- What is the single most important goal of each social channel? In other words, what do you want them to do? And what do they need to do before they get to that step?
- Who is your audience on each of these social channels? What are they talking about?
- Are you consistent? Or do you have social ADD, posting random stuff, at random times, whenever you feel like it?
- How well does your content tell your brand story?
- How do you know when you are successful? What should your analytics and metrics look like?
No sugar coating it! If you aren’t clear what you want from each of your social channels, you will never get there.
- Now that you are clear on the who, what and why of your social strategy, craft your plan. You just might have to do some homework.
- What has worked well for you in the past?
- What got little attention and produced little results?
- What have you noticed that people are asking for?
- What is popular among your competitors? Partners?
- How will you know when you are successful? What are some reasonable milestones? Set some goals that stretch you, but that you can accomplish. Keep the current size and responsiveness of your audience in mind when setting goals.
- Tailor your plans to ease the pain of your target market. Remember, they won’t buy it unless they want it.
- Get visual! Pretty attracts attention. Whether this consists of pretty photos, visuals you create, or the most attractive of all, video, you must capture the attention of your audience first.
- Get ahead of the social change curve. Pay attention to announcements and buzz about upcoming changes. Start planning how to adjust to the changes even before they impact you directly.
- Engage with your audience and ask them what they want.
We often ask everyone else for advice and ignore the people who can tell us the truth! Ask them about their pain and frustration. Ask them what they wish they had to make life easier. Then create those things. Remember this is social media and social is the key word. This is not a one-way advertising medium. People come to social to meet new people and see interesting things. If you want to get into their hearts (and wallets), you are going to have to talk to them first.
Great post, Destiny! I think your tips are very relevant to having a strong social media presence in this society.
Thanks Morgan!
Great post! I really like how you clearly listed out methods to get more recognition and engagement on social media. Sometimes just one small change can make a huge difference!
I agree with you Jenna. It’s the 80-20 Rule… the smallest adjustments often make the most difference.
This was a great piece. Easy read but I’m glad you are telling readers how use their social media more effectively.
Thanks Kathleen!
I am very impressed with this post! This is so useful for individuals and brands on social. You should share this on linkedin!
Thanks Anne! I normally share posts that I think might be valuable on LinkedIn and/or Twitter. I will definitely take your advice and share this one on LinkedIn.
That blog was super helpful Destiny. I find that the best way to stay ahead of the curve is to get involved in Linkedin groups about social media as well as read articles from AMA.
Sarah, I agree that following trusted resources is a great way to stay ahead of the curve.
This post does a great job of quickly tying together a lot of various marketing concepts! I think the first step is especially critical, when it seems like the organization needs to change to remake itself to appeal to its current audience. In marketing strategy we covered how critical a clearly defined mission and scope are in order to clearly guide the organization while still being flexible enough for changes externally and within the organization. I think it was Simon Sinek who said it’s “all about the ‘why’.” Even with channels like social media the “why” is critical for great audience experiences and expectations. I’ll definitely be passing this article along to anyone who needs help with their social strategy!
Thanks Laura! I agree, so many people just jump into tactics, instead of starting with why. Then they wonder why those tactics aren’t working for them. Feel free to share… I appreciate it.
So many times brands and even consumers dont have any theme or consistency with their social pages. I think that everyone should try out these tips and be more intentional to make their content engaging. Great post!
Thank you, Michael.