Thanks to the movie, Back to the Future, we all thought we’d own flying cars by 2015. We’re now five years past that deadline, and unfortunately still traveling on land. But plenty has changed for sure, especially with regard to how we market our businesses. If you haven’t updated your social media strategy lately, here are eight goals you should consider for 2020.
Define your business goals. Your social media campaign should support your overall business objectives. So, you should back up and start there. First, ask yourself what you hope to accomplish in 2020. Now, consider how your social media campaign can help you achieve those goals.
Describe your audience and choose a channel. When it comes to social media, more is not necessarily better. First consider your target demographic: Who is interested in your products or services? Then investigate the online habits of that particular demographic. You want to choose one or two social media channels where you will be most visible to your audience.
Now, articulate your strategy. What do you want to accomplish on social media? You might want to
- Build brand identity
- Increase brand awareness
- Display thought leadership
- Drive website traffic
- Form relationships with current or prospective clients
Once you can articulate your precise objectives, now you can formulate a plan to address them.
Research your channels. A social media campaign is a bit more complicated than simply choosing a channel and posting content on it. Each social media platform serves as a unique environment and has its own unspoken code of behavior. Some move faster than others, too, requiring more engagement and more frequent posting.
Revamp your content strategy. Are you blogging about the same old topics, or have you tried something new lately? Do you include eye-catching pictures? What about creating brief, informative videos for the visual learners among your audience? Have you considered conducting polls, or creating Pinterest boards? Depending upon your industry and audience, more creative content might be in order.
Stick to a schedule. It’s common to fall behind with social media marketing, simply because you didn’t make a schedule. Commit to regular posts, and you’re more likely to follow through.
Follow up. How do you know your social media campaign is reaching the right people? Follow up by utilizing each channel’s metrics tools to analyze the impact of each post. This information will give you clues on what works, and what doesn’t work, so that you can continue to hone your strategy.
Delegate responsibility. You wouldn’t hire someone without accounting experience to do your books; why assign your social media campaign to anyone but an expert? If consistently moderating your social media campaign has become yet another task on your already crowded schedule, consider delegating the responsibility to a pro. Contact us to discuss your online marketing strategy, and we can help you get the job done right, in less time.
