Ask Silver Bullet October 2017

When figuring out how to create a social media strategy there are many elements which need to be considered, such as who you are targeting and why. Social media sites are currently at the forefront in our rapidly changing society with platforms used by millions every day. They have therefore become one of the most influential tools of the 21st century, so having a Social Media strategy in place is not simply valuable, but actually almost essential.  

Social Media Strategy Plan

It is important to have a social media strategy plan in place for promotion purposes. Promoting a company requires a marketing strategy, whether this is PR, branding or a digital marketing campaign, marketing is the key element that will help grow a business from a start-up enterprise into an established small company. Social media and marketing go hand-in-hand. Involving social media in a marketing strategy is possibly the most cost effective way of building an online presence and developing a social media strategy is more than sending a few tweets here and Facebook posts there, but rather a successful strategy will address a target audience with specialised posts to exploit engagement.  

The great thing about these platforms is they create a trustworthy base for companies to engage with audiences. Basically, social media is all about networking.

Social Media Strategy for Business

Alongside building a rapport, there are multiple reasons why companies thrive off media planning – strategy enables a company to identify its goals and objectives by researching competitors and engaging with ideal customers. Moreover, social media sites can be used to influence an audience, which leads to business success and a cost-effective way of advertising your brand. 

A social media strategy is generally used in business as a public relations and direct marketing tool to target a specific audience with the aim of growing customer commitment. In order to allow maximum engagement on social media, each site needs to be managed and monitored at regular intervals by reacting to conversations and engaging with your audience.

Contrary to popular belief, controlling a social network within a specific sector is not easy but is achievable. Unlike personal social media accounts, views and beliefs have to be regulated, yet have interesting subject matter to engage the network. There is no point denying that social media will not generate a huge amount of sales instantly for a small business, but if these sites generate brand awareness and drive people on to a website, then they have achieved their aims and justified the investment in them. 

However, to create a social media strategy which effectively contributes to a business’ reputation, it’s important to recognise that social networks are constantly updating.

Social Media Strategy 2017

In 2017, because most companies are stationary in a competitive market social media could really boost your profile. By creating a social media strategy you are allowing yourself to compete with the best. Social media strategy for business requires adopting a healthy attitude towards social sites and respecting that the only way your account will improve is if it is nurtured. 

To create a social media strategy the first thing that needs to be considered is whom are you targeting, what this target audience are responding to and when. Only when this has been determined, can a strategic plan be developed to expand and influence your network.

To understand how to create a social media strategy organisation is key - you need to know which platforms are relevant to you and your company, whether this be Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc. 

Use online assistance tools - there are certain scheduling tools such as Hootsuite, which allows you to pre-write posts. This benefits organisation of your strategy, but daily attention is still required for accounts to keep up with shifting trends. 

A great tool to assist with a strategy is analytics found on most social media platforms – with this you can understand your audience and perceive peak times of engagement in order to reach the largest number. 

Another important aspect of creating a social media strategy is to decide the tone and frequency of interaction – a useful tip when using your social media accounts is to not overwhelm people with business talk. The whole point of a social media site is exactly that – to be social – it is not a business directory or your website, it is a way of engaging with people. You’re still promoting your company but, hopefully, subtly – for example with Twitter do not tweet a business fact every 10 minutes because it will get missed and people will not engage, better to make your account playful with relevant information, add in business news or information when necessary. Your audience will believe you are more reliable and trustworthy if you come across with a personal touch rather than a corporation. 

Your social media strategy should reflect you as a company – if your main USP’s are reliability and trustworthy – make your social media account just that. 

Do you need some assistance with your marketing? Do you need to review your strategy or do you have another marketing question we can help with? Talk to us. Email your questions anonymously to us today hello@silverbulletmarketing.co.uk  or Tweet us (not so anonymously) @SilverBulletPR .