Harnessing the power of social media is no longer optional—it’s a necessity for businesses striving to thrive in a competitive landscape. Crafting an effective social media marketing strategy can significantly boost your brand’s visibility, engagement, and ultimately, your bottom line. (Yes, more money, more impact baby)
When I started my business, every social media guru on the internet LOVED to tell people “You need a social media marketing strategy” but they never defined what a social media strategy really was or how to create one.
It was overwhelming and downright confusing as heck, even for someone with a marketing degree… I couldn’t even imagine how lost business owners without a marketing background felt.
And I don’t want you to feel that way 🙂
Crafting a social media strategy is easy. You just need to know HOW. And in this blog post, I’m here to provide you with the step-by-step HOW. (I also have a fillable workbook that walks you through these steps in much greater detail with much more context, if that sounds like your jam you can grab it here.)
Unlike those gurus, I’m genuinely invested in your success and making social media feel less like Ross putting on leather pants.
Here’s how you’re going to create a winning social media marketing strategy for your business.
1. Define Your Goals
The foundation of any successful social media strategy is a clear understanding of your business objectives. Are you looking to increase brand awareness, drive website traffic, generate leads, or boost sales? By defining your goals, you’ll be able to tailor your social media efforts to align with your broader business objectives.
2. Learn About Your Audience (like as much as humanly possible)
Knowing your target audience is crucial for tailoring your content and engagement strategies. Conduct market research to identify the demographics, interests, and online behaviour of your potential customers. This information will guide your content creation and help you connect with your audience on a deeper level. Some important things to know are; what they struggle with, what their daily life looks like, what their biggest desires are, what their goals or dreams are, how they’re currently feeling, how they want to feel, common thoughts they have/things they say, their fears, questions that they have. The more you know, the better your content will resonate with your audience.
3. Do a Competitor Analysis
Understanding what your competitors are doing on social media can provide valuable insights and help you identify opportunities. Analyze their content, engagement strategies, and audience interactions. By learning from their successes and shortcomings, you can refine your own approach and stand out in the crowded social media landscape. REMEMBER, we are not copying. We’re looking for opportunities to stand-out and see what you can learn from the industry leaders. If you do want to replicate something, ensure you put your own unique spin on it – copying is the fastest way to blend in and look unoriginal.
4. Do an Internal Analysis
Evaluate your existing online presence and marketing efforts. Identify what’s working well and what needs improvement. Assess your current social media platforms, content performance, and audience engagement. This internal analysis will serve as a benchmark for measuring the success of your new strategy. What pieces of content have performed the best in the past? What was it about those pieces of content? Was it the hook? The topic? The content format? Maybe you know that you’re really funny and your audience enjoys your humorous content- double down on that.
5. Set Up Your Accounts
Choose the social media platforms that align with your business goals and target audience. Set up professional profiles on platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and others. Ensure that your profiles are complete with compelling bios, accurate contact information, and eye-catching visuals that reflect your brand identity. DO NOT TRY TO SHOW UP EVERYONE ALL AT ONCE. You will get burnt out and want to quit all together. Start with 1-2 platforms and master those, before expanding. I only marketed my business on Instagram for 2 years before expanding to other platforms. I have a account setup checklist in my Social Strategy Workbook- here.
6. Create a Content Calendar
Consistency is key in social media marketing. Develop a content calendar to plan and schedule your posts in advance. Vary your content topics and formats to keep your audience engaged. Incorporate a mix of promotional, educational, and entertaining content to cater to diverse audience preferences. For 10 compelling content ideas to add to your monthly calendar, check out my previous blog post here.
7. Find Tools to Help
Utilize social media management tools to streamline your efforts and maximize efficiency. These tools can help with content creation, organization, scheduling posts, monitoring analytics, and managing interactions. Invest in tools that align with your specific needs and integrate seamlessly with your chosen social media platforms. My ride or die tools are; Later (for scheduling), Canva (for graphics and visuals), Airtable (for organization + content calendars), and Stan Store (to make sales + host digital products/affiliate links). Speaking of affiliate links, you can try Stan Store here. The best part of this platform is they take $0 in commission fees so you’re keeping 100% of your hard-earned money unlike other digital marketplaces.
8. Evaluate and Adjust
Regularly assess the performance of your social media marketing efforts. Monitor key metrics such as engagement, reach, and conversion rates. Use this data to identify trends, measure the success of your strategy against your goals, and make necessary adjustments to optimize your approach continually.
In conclusion, mastering social media marketing for your business involves a strategic approach and continuous refinement. By following these eight steps—you can create a robust social media presence that drives results and propels your business forward in the digital era. Remember, social media is a dynamic landscape, so stay informed about industry trends and be ready to adapt your strategy to stay ahead of the curve. With a well-crafted social media marketing strategy, your business can build meaningful connections, enhance its online presence, and achieve long-term success.
P.S. If you skimmed to the bottom without reading this, my “8 Step Social Strategy Workbook” walks you through this entire process. It’s fillable and has tons of additional context, examples, and a few hidden surprises like a link to my free Airtable content calendar template that I use for myself + all my clients. Grab it HERE.
