Here at Wally’s Social, we believe in finding the right mix of techniques and channels that will deliver the best returns for our clients. Whether the objective is to build your audience, raise brand awareness of or increase sales, it’s almost impossible to achieve any of them without a well-planned social media strategy. In today’s swiping, scrolling (and sometimes trolling) world, the ‘attention economy’ rules and this means your company must have a positive presence on social media – no matter how big or small your business is. Here are five reasons why you need a social media strategy:
Build trust with your audiences.
Social media gives your business the opportunity to engage with your target audience. Your posts and adverts appear amongst those belonging to their friends and family and as such, you’re able to show them who you are and build trust amongst your audiences. As is the case in real life, building trust is not an easy task – it is earned through consistent behaviour, authentic interaction and shared values. A well planned social media strategy will ensure your posts are planned out, effective and aligned to your business goals.
Pick the right platform.
With so many platforms out there, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by social media. Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat and Linkedin all come with their own strengths and characteristics meaning you’ll need to post channel-appropriate content. Example; a cute kitten gif to mark your latest sale will go down well on Facebook, but it may not go down so well on LinkedIn. Another common mistake made by some businesses is having a presence on every social media channel. This approach could be right for larger businesses, but if your business is small, start small. A social media strategy will help you define channel-specific goals as well as choose which channels you should focus on.
Define your objectives.
Aligning your business’s marketing goals with your social media goals is a powerful way to connect with your audiences, but are you clear on why? It is key that you define what you’d like to achieve so that you keep on track. Some of your objectives could include building your database, drive website visits, become thought leaders on a specific topic or generating leads and bookings for your business. Having a social media strategy enables you to define clear goals and assess performance more effectively.
Keep your momentum and stay on track.
Once you’ve defined your goals, it’s important to stay focused and stick to your plan. All too often businesses start out with some great momentum and the best intentions, but with so many competing priorities, it’s easy to push your social media activity to the bottom of the list. Inactivity or sporadic posting impacts how your brand is perceived and can have a negative effect on visibility. A social media strategy and accompanying plan will assist you in keeping you focussed and your audiences engaged.
Report, improve, repeat.
These are challenging times. With so many businesses focused on mere survival, reporting on how well (or not) your social media platforms are performing can feel like a non-essential activity. But avoid reporting at your peril. Allow time each week or month to monitor your activity and track metrics like engagement, reach and audience growth. Most platforms have sophisticated, yet simple to follow reporting dashboards and some will even send you regular emails with a snapshot of how you’re doing. Remember, if you don’t know what’s working, you could end up wasting time and money.
So there you have just some of the many, many, maaaany benefits of having a social media strategy. At Wally’s Social, we specialise in helping businesses design and implement custom social media strategies and related services that are manageable and deliver results. Book your free consultation today!