Nowadays, more brands and businesses are leveraging social networks. A social media marketing strategy is a requisite for any brand that wishes to get more out of social media.
At the end of this post, you will be able to craft your own social media strategy with the well-written guidelines listed and free social media strategy template.
More than 1 billion people are active on Facebook, and more than 100 million people use Instagram every month. Most young people and prospective customers spend a large chunk of their time online.
However, it’s not enough to build a presence on social media platforms; the key ingredient necessary for doing social marketing properly is a strategy.
So, a well-laid-out strategy helps you upscale and take your brand to the next level.
In this post, we’ll be taking a deeper look into what a social media marketing strategy is. Also, how to develop a social media marketing strategy and why it is important you set social media goals.
But, first, we will have to take a quick look at its definition
Social media marketing strategy definition
A social media marketing strategy is usually referred to as a written document that maps out how your brand or company plans to use different social networks.
Developing a social media strategy is very important because the digital world is evolving every day, and you need to plan and review the plans from time to time to keep up with trends.
Developing a social media strategy helps a personal or corporate brand gain clarity on priorities.
Following and drafting a social media strategy is the big difference between brands that drive results from social media and those that don’t.
How can you set social media marketing strategy goals?
Think about what you really want to achieve with social media.
The most common social media goals include: gaining more followers, generating more leads, increasing revenue, enhancing brand perception, and gaining awareness
Setting goals helps in developing a clear and concise strategy; they act as a roadmap for all activities.
To set social media goals, ensure your goals are:
1. Strategic
2. Measurable.
3. Attainable
4. Relevant
5. Timely
The above-listed points will help you set clear goals.
Always ensure to make the goals actionable and result-driven, e.g., “Gain 500 more followers in a month by consistently creating content five times a day.”
Why do you need to know your audience for an effective social media marketing strategy?
Identifying your audience is a key ingredient in crafting a social media strategy.
You need to know the people you’re trying to reach with your content. Understanding their challenges, pain points, and strengths will help in creating personalized messages.
Another key thing to note is that you have to speak your audience’s language.
e.g., “It is advisable to use simple words for a demographic of a younger age.”
How can you craft a buyer persona?
Previously, we talked about knowing your audience. The only way to know your audience is to craft a buyer persona.
A buyer persona is a semi-fictitious profile that represents your ideal customers based on what you have researched or observed.
This research could come from observation, social media, and some other factors.
Your buyer persona should highlight these key things: Age range, profession, educational level, preferences, personal goals, etc
Read Also: SOCIAL MARKETING: The Basic Guide With Practical Examples
What kind of content should you put out on social media?
Now that you have successfully identified your buyer personas, based on your findings, you will be able to tell what they love and what they need answers for too.
You can now use this observation to create content they will love to see and share.
However, people love learning, so it is imperative to note that your content must provide value, answer their questions, and spur their interest.
Understanding your audience helps you know the best type of content to put out: audios, videos, or carousels.
Audios are best for a busy audience; videos are best if you want to sell an emotion or tell a story.
After deciding the type of content, it is time to determine the right channels to use.
Choosing the right channels for your target audience.
Do an audit for your demographic. Find out where they spend the most time online and what time of the day they’re online. Then, use this information to choose a social media platform to leverage.
A good way to start, though, is to ask yourself these questions:
1. Is my audience using this platform?
2. How much time do they spend here?
3. What kind of content do they engage with most?
Next, let’s take a look at key important things to note as regards the top social networks
Facebook:
Facebook is the second-largest social network. It consists of 68% of adults, while the remaining percentage consists of the younger demographic
Read more: Best Facebook Marketing Guide to Scale any Business (+ Free Tips)
Twitter:
For Twitter, less is more. It consists of 24% of adults, with women being the dominant gender. It requires a greater time investment.
Linkedin:
LinkedIn is a platform for professionals. It consists more of the older demographic, and mostly recruiters. It is ultimately business-focused.
Instagram:
This is a visual social media network, so content needs to appeal to the eyes more. It consists more of the younger generation.
All platforms have the best strategies that work for them. Target the right people and make it work for you.
Create a social media calendar
Sharing great content is important, but it is also important to plan out when you’ll share the content to get the maximum impact.
Your calendar needs to account for the time you spend interacting with the audience.
Determine:
1. The time of the day to post
2. Number of times to post
Lastly, evaluate and adjust your strategy.
As you start to implement your plans and track your results, you will need to evaluate what works and what doesn’t from time to time.
Social media strategy free template
Now that you know what to include in your social media strategy, it’s time to put it down in writing. Download this free strategy template to quickly and easily plan your own strategy.
What social media trends will we see in 2023?
The most important social media trends to watch in 2023 are user-generated content and micro-influencer marketing. TikTok and short-form video material. Stream shopping and social commerce in real time.
What will be popular in influencer marketing in 2023?
What are the trends of the future in influencer marketing? Influencer marketing is becoming a major trend beyond 2023. The increasing popularity of micro- and nano influencers, brands seeking long-term collaborations, a variety of social media platforms, an increase in performance-based arrangements, and more are among the most significant trends.
How will social media marketing evolve?
Future social media platforms will emphasize “authenticity.” BeReal grabbed people and confused marketers in 2023. Who knows if the network is here to stay, but authenticity, or at least the hunt for it, is not going anywhere.
