Strategic social media marketing means more than a weekly post to a random social media platform. And thus, actual measured success associated with social media is beyond that simplistic approach as well. Whether we like it or not, social media is here to stay. As the number of outlets grows, it is important to understand how to best use this tool for your company brand’s benefit. ‘Tis the time for some strategy.
LinkedIn, TikTok, Twitter … Whatever it Takes
After 11 years of manning social media for businesses, non-profit organizations and municipalities, Pickett and Associates has seen its share of “willy-nilly-post-and-hope” social media, with little or no strategy attached. You know how it works – there’s a revelation (often prompted by the competition) that you should be doing something, and the youngest person in the office is charged with doing it. They try their best (or don’t), set up accounts and passwords, and the leave without sharing that information. Then, the task is assigned to the next person … rinse and repeat until it’s deemed “disappointing, useless and unproductive.”
This pattern throws away a prime (and simple) opportunity to reach a target audience and make a meaningful impact on the growth of your business. With a strategic approach (and measurable result!), social media is one of the best tools to reach new consumers, grow brand awareness and get your name out into the stratosphere of the internet.
Social media, when managed properly, has great results for many businesses. Even more appealing: small businesses can use it just as efficiently as larger companies. Think of it as a level playing field where consumers are hoping to hear something personal from a brand they love or want to get to know. Online dating has become a huge new platform for testing out relationships, so just think of your social media as a great way for potential consumers to date your brand and see what they think.
Let’s Get Strategical, Strategical …
With a nod to Olivia Newton John … if you want to capture the attention of your consumer base, you will need to rely on something more strategic than a “post and hope” approach. This is where social media experts like Pickett and Associates come to the party. Along with all the other communication and marketing goodies we offer our clients, about 70 % of our work falls into the strategic content and social media realm. That translates into achieving your measurable objectives (driving a defined number or percentage of leads, increasing sales or improving donor engagement) while supporting your brand messaging and engages audiences.
So, how do we do this? We have some hot tips headed your way. Starting next month and throughout 2022, we will be sharing 20 steps to a solid social media strategy. Our first two tips coming up in February include establishing realistic social media marketing goals and understanding the metrics that determine success. You see what we did there? We have our own social media strategy, and we are looking forward to sharing with you how we have helped other companies find success measurable success.
