5 Steps to a Killer Social Media Strategy

We all know that if we want to be effective, we need to know exactly what we want to do and how we plan to do it. Sound simple? Yes, it is. But most folks don't take stock and plan. Now, I am not saying that these folks aren't effective, I am saying that they aren't being as effective as they could be. Successful people plan. They plan out their day. They plan out their week. They plan out their short and long term goals. And they definitely plan out their Social Media Strategy.

How to develop a Social Media Strategy? Treat it like as the marketing project it is.

1) The 'Whats'
First, you need to know what you want to do. What are your goals with Social Media?

1. Are you looking to connect in a more personal way with your clients?
2. Are you setting up a general inbound marketing plan to attract more clients to you?
3. Are you wanting to establish better customer service online?
4. Are you wanting to up your brand exposure?

Not sure what you want? That's fine, too. Find a consultant who can offer some training and some insight into what is possible and what isn't (we offer a reasonable service, by the way and would be happy to give you a hand). This isn't too expensive, will save you a lot of time researching, and will help you hit on a strategy that will get you started.

2) Who is your client?
Take a good long time to think about who your client is and how that person, likely, uses the Internet. Is that person constantly online, tweeting her whole day? Or is that person logging on once a day to do some light surfing and check to see if more pictures have been posted of his grandchildren? It's very important to think about this because it will shape your strategies. The previous two types of clients, for example, will tell us whether to focus on Facebook or Twitter, whether to concentrate on certain types of posts or content, and even whether to use images or text primarily in our posts.

There is Big Data to help you figure out what your standard client is doing and how s/he responds to different media. You can research online or get some help but your demographic has a profile. Take advantage of that information.

3) Get your tools together. 

1.  Get some posting software.
   If you are planning to post yourself, you need a method by which you can post everything (or a lot of things) when it's convenient and space the posts out during the day. There are various pieces of software out there. I recommend Hootsuite because it's the deck I use. If you find the software confusing, get training. It's worth it because it will save you so much time in the future.
2. Set up tracking mechanisms. 
1. Google Analytics - this great tool allows you to put a widget on your website pages and track visitors to your site and their behaviour on your site. Analytics will also give you insight on demographics. It's a great tool for small business and it's free, right now.
2. Hootsuite and other tweet decks will report on your progress. Set up these reports.

4) Don't forget the power of email.
The opportunity to collect your potential client's email (along with permission to email them) is a critical component of all social media strategies right now. Make sure that you are gathering these email addresses and contacting them frequently (2-3 times a month for a brick and mortar business, 2-3 times a week for online sales). If you are not a writer, don't worry. A photo blog might be a great idea for you!

5) Learn from yourself.
As you work up your killer strategy, check your stats daily. First thing in the morning. If the stats are growing at the rates you set out in Step 1, great. If not, think about how to change what you're doing to up those stats and meet your goals. Consult with a Social Media consultant or just get down and dirty yourself and google it. It's really important, here, to be honest with yourself. Follow what the figures are telling you NOT what your years of marketing gut is saying. Numbers don't lie. Only spend time and money on what actually works.

Hope this helps! Good luck out there!