Social Media for your business can be an intimidating prospect – so we’ve broken it down into a simple blueprint that you can implement yourself – check out some simple steps you can take today to start that path to engagement!
1. Know who you are?
Without understanding why your business exists and the value your business provides you can’t develop a plan that has purpose.
You need to understand your strengths and weaknesses as a business and build a brand that will connect with your clients and customers.
Remember, be authentic, be you!
2. Who is your audience
Define who you target market is and be specific – trying to talk to a wide demographic on Social Media is near impossible – define your perfect client and speak directly to them in the places they hang out.
Create a document that specifies who your perfect client or customer is:
Name, Gender, Age, Location, Occupation, Goals, Values, Pain Points, Challenges, Active Social Media Platforms…
3. What Social Platforms to use
Once your audience has been defined you can work out which Social Media platforms to use. If this is completely new to you, just choose one to begin with. My go-to platform is Instagram – it is high on engagement and simple to setup and use. There are lots of great free resources that can help you set up the platforms correctly.
Remember to be consistent with your profiles when you setup your accounts, use the same profile pics, same descriptions and keep true to your brand.
Now comes the apart that scares people the most – content! This is – of course – what makes up your Social Media, this is what will engage, add value and speak with your audience. There are lots of different types of content you can use (and it varies per platform), below is a list you can use to brainstorm the best content to engage your audience:
- Blog Articles
- Photography
- Videos
- Competitions
- Inspirational Quotes
- Behind the Scenes
- Hints & Tips
- Adverts
- Industry News
- Reviews
As mentioned, the type of content you choose will be dependent on the platform you have chosen (what types of content is native to that platform) and the needs of your audience. This is why the first 2 steps above are very important when building your blueprint.
You can’t create the content without knowing who you are talking to and where they are hanging out.
4. Listening
Being active on Social Media isn’t a set it and forget it activity, one aspect that you must implement within your strategy is Social Listening. Your ears need to be on the ground, responding to questions, engaging with other users and keeping your reputation intact.
- How will you respond to negative comments?
- What will you do when someone sends you a direct message?
- If a customer reaches out to you through a social platform, how quickly will you respond?
- There are a lot of factors to take in when you create a social presence, it is an ongoing commitment that you must plan for.
5. Planning
Who doesn’t love a plan? A roadmap for content and Social Media activity is necessary to reduce headaches and organise your time.
- When will you post?
- How often will you post?
- How do I know which type of content to use?
- What tools will I use to schedule content?
These are all important questions to build into your plan. This part can take a bit of time to set up and implement – but it will save you time and stress down the track.
Keep a social diary and document all the actions you need to take and follow it religiously.
6. Just Do It
Dive in, give it a go and start getting familiar with each platform and what people are doing within the massive Social Media world.
Your Social Media marketing will be one of the biggest steps you can take when trying to engage with your audience. But remember that you are there to blend into the environment – it’s Social – it’s not a place to throw out advertising.
Your audience wants value and authentic engagement from you.
