A guide to creating your social media strategy
Whether you manage the marketing for a large company or you’re an entrepreneur just starting out, you’re most likely aware that your business needs a social media presence. But one size does not fit all when it comes to social media. So how do you know what strategy is right for your business? Well that depends on several things that are all unique to your company.
Your product is special and so are you
How you approach social media should start with what you’re selling. Is it a product? What is unique about it? How do you intend to present the product in a way that inspires potential customers?
These questions will be answered by putting together 3-5 key selling points. These should align with your overall marketing strategy. Then, they will inform what direction to go in with your social strategy.
Let’s use an apple as an example.
Your apples’ key selling points are (bear with me. I’m just using an apple as a neutral product option):
· Crisp and sweet
· Versatile recipe options
· Look beautiful on your counter
Your apples’ key differentiators are:
· Grown locally
· Family-owned farm
Starting out knowing what is special about your apple can help you identify what types of customers you should be targeting. So, let’s talk about your customer now.
Your customers are unique too
Target customer 1: Margaret
· Woman aged 35
· Married, 3 kids
· Wants healthy things that her kids will eat
· Enjoys: Yoga, cooking shows, farmers markets
· Social channels used: Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram
See where I’m going with this? Build out your customer personas. Complete at least a couple that will help you really understand who you’re talking to.
Since your product is visual (Apple), Instagram is a perfect medium to showcase its beauty and versatility. Your product also lends itself to an abundance of content in the form or recipes, which is perfect for Pinterest. Moms like Margaret will browse Pinterest for new and interesting ideas to serve her kids. Margaret is also a frequent Facebook user, so put together a strong content strategy for that channel which includes a budget for boosting your posts.
But what if you’re selling a service? Start with the problem that you’re solving for the customer. How can that translate to content? How can you get your audience to engage with you? What is the right channel? Then put together your key selling points and your audience personas, just as you would with a physical product.
The point is that each product and service have unique qualities. We just need to identify them to connect them to the people who want them. Sometimes this is the hardest part and will require some focus to get it right. Trust me, when you start here, creating a strategy for your social media becomes much much easier.
I hope this helped you! Please leave a comment and let me know what else you’d like me to help you with or if you have any feedback for this blog.
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