Social media is a major marketing player. Even with its popularity and marketers decrying any strategy that doesn’t include social, it’s amazing to see that social media is still somewhat regarded as a mystery. Brands know they have to be on social but sometimes aren’t really sure of much beyond that. Whether you want to be on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram, Snapchat or TikTok, here are a few things that brands can do to assess their readiness and ensure they succeed on any social media channel.
Know your target –You must know your audience before starting any social media campaign. Not only will this determine the platforms you select, but it will also help inform the type of content you create. If you don’t know your audience demos or have established personas, it’s time to dig in.
Choose your platforms – You don’t need to be on all social media platforms. In fact, it’s better if you aren’t as trying to juggle too many social media sites could be a detriment to your campaign. Select one to three social media platforms that fit your audience demographics and focus on those.
Determine goals – What do you want to get out of your social media presence? Do you want to get likes and encourage engagement? Do you want to push traffic to your website as a bridge for ecommerce activity? Is your main goal to inform or educate your audience on certain topics? Your social media goals will help determine the types of platforms you select and will also inform content decisions. Establish your goals early so that you can keep them in mind as you plan.
Dial in branding – Consistent branding should be found across all marketing, not just social media. Make sure that the logos, color scheme and overall feel on your social are consistent with your brand.
Check for consistent handles – If you’re going to be on more than one social media platform, it’s a good idea to create handles that are the same (or at least remarkably similar) across all platforms. This coupled with consistent branding will help your audience find you.
Create a style guide – A style guide is a set of guidelines that determines how the brand communicates both internally and with the public. This can include the official logo, colors, design style, copy tone, hashtags, mission statement, tagline, brand personas and other facets of a brand’s marketing strategy.
Take stock of assets – As a business, you should only use high-quality images and video on your social channels. Take a look through what you have and decide if any of your current imagery/videos can be used for your social media channels. Create additional assets as needed.
Create an editorial calendar – Now’s the time to get creative! Start by establishing your posting cadence (how often/which days will you post) and fill out a 30-day plan. Link to all of the assets you want to use and write the copy. Make sure everything is ready to go before the month starts. Do this each month for the following month so that you’re not panicked for content at the last minute.
Measure performance and adjust – Take stock of your progress on a monthly basis. Are you reaching your goals? Have you seen more engagement on your posts? Are site visits up? Assess the performance of your social media strategy and adjust based on insights gathered.
Are you ready to get social? By reviewing this readiness assessment, you can make sure that your brand successfully engages on any social media platform. See you in the comments!