Time and money are often the 2 biggest reasons why social media suffers. It can be a very effective channel for connecting and engaging current and future customers but it can't be neglected. So here are a couple of disciplines that can help you stay on track and make it happen!
Social media is a constant. you can't just launch a bunch of page, dust yourself off, tick the box and leave. This has a two pronged effect. Obviously you will not see any results and this often leads to many assuming that social doesn't work.
The other is that the page will sit there empty. Social media has become a place where people come to see the validity of a company and connect with them. It is an extension of your word of mouth. Customer feedback, reviews and recommendations are great.
Make sure prioritise launching, growing, optimising and responding. Whether you’re doing this yourself, delegating to a staff member or an agency. Creating a content can help ensure the direction and that it is resourced (time, money, content, support) for success. If it's at the bottom of your list it’ll never succeed.
Having the biggest line up of social media icons on you website doesn't mean you're doing a better job at it. We typically find 3 to 4 networks (+ youtube/vimeo) that align with where your target customers would be searching for you is much more powerful then every network out there.
The main risks are consistency and quality. It will be impossible, especially for a small business to maintain great content over too many social media channels.
This seems like an obvious one, but most set and forget. Use your channels email, text, in-store, post or even your personal page to engage people to that have already done business with you or that want to support you.
Once you have connected with them, your connect will more likely appear in more places as related likes will show on their extended networks feed.
From there incentives are a great way to gather more followers. Give your customers an incentive to join your social channels, such as exclusive offers, competitions or giveaways. Be careful and ensure this not only operationally but financially feasible. You don't want to end up in some of the situations as these examples on 'What Not To Do On Social – 5 Tips From 5 Poor Examples'
Once you build up your community with people who already know and trust your brand, you can start recruiting potential customers.
It is always a hurdle when deciding to invest cash into your social media. People get burnt trying it on their own, throwing cash without the right strategy around the campaign or somehow they want to see success in revenue and generating sales before spending a dollar.
The truth is the old adage "You're making money from 50% of your marketing, you're just not sure which 50%." Still applies to all marketing streams. We can track and have a clearer understanding of your customer habits, but there's no guarantee that all marketing will make money.
You can quiet easily launch an affordable cost-per-like campaign or a competition which can help spur huge growth in your community. Invest so that you have a decent sized group to engage with and if done right this will foster continued organic growth.
Once you have launched all your social media channels, tell people about. Start with your customers through email. Also add it to your email signature, business cards, flyers, in-store signage and you website.
Having a social media presence lends credibility to your business, as potential customers often believe businesses which use social media shows transparency, credibility and allows them more opportunities to contact you.
If needed, get a professional to help with with creating, scheduling or analysing your content. This can help it be more efficient or to add more valuable information which will keep people interacting with you.
This can take a large amount of work load and pressure. It will give you back time to manage your business while continuing to connect with your current and potential customers.
Ensure the agency you work with has a clear strategy and communication so that you can always be on top of your social media though it is being managed by someone else.
By remembering some simple steps, you can keep your social media content fresh and engaging.
If you have any question or more suggestions. Feel free to contact us.
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