There’s no getting around the fact that engagement on social media takes time. It is what most concerns small business owners when they decide to get involved. “How can I find time to do this?” “I have a business to run!” “I’m overwhelmed before I even start!” The next thing I hear from them is “What am I going to write about?”
You identify?
Social media marketing is all about sharing content and connecting with people over the web. In the early days, critics dismissed social media channels like Facebook and Twitter as little more than gossip outlets and chat rooms, leaving many entrepreneurs with the impression that they weren’t serious enough for business interactions. That is no longer the case. Facebook and Twitter have become critically important communication channels for companies of all sizes and types of industries. LinkedIn has also evolved from a networking tool to an important resource for discussions, information sharing, and prospecting. Blogs have become a primary source of knowledge sharing, discussion, and basic education for professionals and consumers around the world. Bottom line: Whether you think you have time for it or not, social media is fast becoming the norm for business communications. And like everything you do in your business, you’ll be most successful if you approach it with clear goals and a deliberate strategy. Here’s a simplified and holistic way to build your social media strategy.
At its most basic level, social media marketing consists of 2 main activities:
creating content
Share content
Here’s a rundown of how to execute those 2 things effectively.
Content creation requires a content strategy
Start with clear goals. As with any activity in your business that requires a significant investment of time or resources, make sure you know why you are using social media and what you hope to gain from it. Are you looking to build awareness and establish your brand online? Do you want to generate leads for your business? Are you focused on building customer loyalty? Typically, companies get involved for one or more of these three reasons. Your content should be written with a clear eye on your goals.
Create an editorial calendar. “Publishing is the new marketing” (term coined by Joe Pulizzi of Junta42). That’s the latest cliché to make the rounds in marketing circles, because continuous content creation is the best way to deliver value, be heard, and get your current and potential customers to take notice. So if you really want to establish your brand on social media, you need to start thinking like a publisher. Just like a traditional newspaper editor, you’ll need to plan ahead, which means identifying topics and scheduling them: an editorial calendar. Identify your target audience, do some research to understand what matters to them, and plan a series of blog or Facebook posts that address their needs or answer their questions. And stay on top of what’s happening in your industry or customer community so you can continue to provide valuable content that will keep your target audience coming back for more.
Write compelling content. It always goes back to basics, right? If content is the key to marketing in this new world of social media, then good copywriting is the key to success. So, apply some of the age-old rules of journalistic writing. Tell a good story. Make your key points up front. Keep it short and succinct. Provide diversity with images, videos, and different story lengths. And apply tips that are known to attract social media readers: use numbers in your headline (“Top 10 Ways To…”), include bulleted lists, include humor or entertainment from time to time, ask questions and invite to comment.
Involve others. Is your editorial calendar causing you stress and sleepless nights? So don’t do it all yourself. Share the task of creating: Recruit other voices in your company, invite your customers to tell their story, ask your partners or industry peers to guest blog. And remember the wealth of content at your fingertips: find and share posts from other bloggers or Facebook Pages, and share them with your own added comment (and give credit, of course). Content is indeed the new marketing, but it doesn’t have to be all yours, and it shouldn’t be.
Sharing content requires a social media roadmap
Start with clear goals. The same applies here: determine your goals in advance and build your strategy around them. You may want to focus on just one goal to start with, and be sure to determine the metrics you’ll use to measure your success; This will help you hone and improve your efforts over time and determine which tactics deliver the greatest return for your business.
Listen and learn first. Social media is all about interacting with others. It is NOT about pushing your content to people or starting one-way conversations. So before you start talking (writing), listen a little. What are your customers talking about? What is said about your company? What do the competitors say? What topics are hot and generating a lot of discussion? Which communication styles appeal to you and which ones don’t? As you listen and learn from the dialogue unfolding today, you will begin to formulate ideas on how to comfortably (for yourself and your audience) join the conversation and add value. And remember: that’s the goal, to add value… NOT to push your own agenda.
Create your own social media roadmap. Do your research (or enlist our help) to determine which of the many social media channels is the best place to start, based on your goals, your audience, and your content. Where do your customers spend time? We recommend choosing one source to use as your content hub (usually your website or blog, sometimes a Facebook fan page) and one or more complementary channels to broaden your reach and drive people to your hub. We also recommend developing a deliberate strategy that clearly maps your chosen social media channels to your editorial calendar. This is your social media strategy and roadmap. For more information, ask us about our social media starter kit.
Feel your way, then commit with gusto. Once you’ve had some preparation and planning time, there’s no other way to start than by jumping in. Follow your carefully laid plans, stay open and flexible, and have fun with it. If you undertake this task with passion and enthusiasm, others will want to be there with you.
