So, you tried a social media marketing campaign, and it didn’t exactly turn out how you expected. There is no better time like the present to retrace your steps, figure out where you went wrong, and create a shiny new and much-improved strategy. Here are four ways to immediately improve your social media marketing strategy.
Know Who your Audience Is
Who is reading your blog? Who is clicking on your links? Do you know the answer? You must determine these answers to position yourself in the right direction of a successful campaign. Start by research into your industry. Then look at your website’s metrics to understand who they are, what content resonates with them, and what their behavior is.
It’s vital for a business to understand their audience before creating a social media marketing strategy. This is the foundation of your strategy, without this knowledge you’re going into it blind.
Pay Attention
Two things that you should constantly be monitoring:
1. Comments and shares on your content
2. Analytics
If you’re posting every day but getting zero engagement, what are you wasting your time for? Something needs to change. You should be looking at your numbers, so you have the information you need to change up your strategy. Specific things to pay attention to are demographic, engagement, time and day. When is your audience engaging with your content and who are they?
After you know those two things, you’re more adept to posting the right content at the right times. Your work doesn’t stop there. When the comments start rolling in, you have to be responsive. Don’t leave a comment or mention sitting dormant. Get to it in a timely way, so your audience feels heard.
Reach Farther
Sometimes just posting on social isn’t enough. Think about implementing ads or boosted posts to extend the reach of your work.
A boosted post is just as it sounds. It’s a social post that you put money behind to “boost” it out to an audience of your choosing. It will show up in their newsfeed as a “sponsored” post. This is a great way to increase your reach and, with a well-thought-out post, increase your engagement.
Facebook ads work relatively similar, but they are really meant to meet a very specific goal. This can be conversions, clicks or likes. Either format will increase your reach in theory because you’re broadening your audience to more than just your own followers. Another way to get your content in front of more people is to share and post it within relevant groups or pages.
Focus More on Your Story
By now, you should know the importance of having a brand or “story.” This story should drive all the social media content you post and every move you make on your digital platforms. Your story consists of your mission, core values and the voice of your company. A good rule of thumb is this; look over your content objectively, would you share it or comment on it? No? Don’t post it.
This is a good rule to live by with one exception, the exception of not being your target audience. If your target is cat-lover, and you break out in hives every time you lay eyes on a feline, scratch this rule. Create content that evokes emotion or is useful to your audience.
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