Mapping Out Your Social Media Strategy

If you were starting out on a road trip, you wouldn’t leave without first mapping out your course, plotting out roads to take and stops to make (or letting your GPS do it for you). Believe it or not, social media is a lot like a road trip. If you want to stay on track and arrive at your planned destination, you need to create a strategy that will get you there, and it all starts with good content.

Whether you’re jumping into the social media world for the first time or looking to improve upon your current presence, here are some tips to keep in mind when developing your content.

DO:

• Keep It Significant and Sharable (K.I.S.S.). You’re fighting to get and keep your audience’s attention in the midst of hundreds of other status updates, so posting content that’s relevant and timely for your audience is vital, according to social media guru Brian Solis. If an individual finds your posts relevant to him, he’s more likely to engage with you and share your post with others, which is great news for any business.

• Know Your Audience. In order to determine what relevant content is for your audience, you need to  know who they are and what they’re looking for. Look at your followers’ profiles to get a feel for who they are, what they do and why they’re following you. Once you have a grip on their wants and needs, use that information to guide you when creating content.

• Find Your Voice. Developing a social media content strategy doesn’t mean you can’t be yourself. In fact, you can and should incorporate your business’ personality into your content, which will help your audience connect with you on a more personal level.

• Build Trust by Responding. Social media isn’t a one-way street; it’s a two-way dialogue between you and your audience. So when someone asks a question or posts a comment on your profile, don’t ignore them. Answer their questions (or put them in touch with someone who can), and respond to their feedback, whether it’s positive or negative.

DON’T:

• Post Too Much or Too Little. Forty-four percent of U.S. consumers would “unlike” a business on Facebook because they post too often, according to a recent study by Exact Target and CoTweet. Make sure you’re not “spamming” your followers with posts every hour on the hour. On the other hand, give your audience new information on a regular basis to keep them coming back for more, just make it spaced out over several hours.

• Set and Forget. While using content scheduling software like HootSuite can be convenient and useful for scheduling posts in advance, don’t let it be the only way you share information in the social media world. Make it a point to visit your profile(s) on a regular basis to engage with your audience and spark discussion.

Need help developing your own social media content strategy? Contact us, and we’d be happy to help guide you!

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