How to implement a social media marketing strategy

..When it comes to social media marketing , unlike what you might think, there is no universal strategy for all types of business. Each company, in fact, has different objectives and different target audiences. The most common mistake that most professionals make is trying to be present on all platforms: they invest time. And resources in a desperate attempt to keep dozens of social channels active, implementing (unsuccessfully) every new technique learned from some part on the net. A productive social media marketing strategy requires careful analysis and very specific skills.

Here are the 3 elements to take into consideration to implement a social media marketing strategy.

Here are the 3 steps to follow to implement a social media marketing strategy:

1. Choice of means

First of all, you have to try to understand what are the means that you are going to use and in what way. There are three types of media:

Owned media : are the channels own by the brand over which the company has full control. For example, a website, a blog, a fan page or a mailing list. Through these channels the company talks extensively about itself becoming a sort of reference point for consumers.

Paid media : these are paid advertising channels that generally guarantee an immediate impact as they are closer to consumers. For example, buying advertising space in a newspaper or television station, paid search or sponsor news on social media.

Earned media : they are defined as “earned channels” as it is the users who talk about the brand. For example, the sharing and citations of your content on social platforms, reviews on TripAdvisor, etc … Earned media are the result of the marketing strategy carried out by the company.

Each of these channels is used for different purposes, which is why it is important to have clear objectives to be achieve. Different goals require different channels.
For example, if you sell software online. And your goal is to implement a social media marketing strategy to drive your customers to purchase a more advanced version of your product, you should focus on owned media. This will allow you to connect with your existing community, such as Facebook’s, and push your product with targeted content to emphasize its benefits. An effective social media strategy provides incentives for your followers, such as a discount if they upgrade within a week. Conversely, if your goal is to increase the number of your potential customers, you should focus on earned and paid channels. For example, social media, as in the case of Facebook, allow you to sponsor content by directing it to a specific target of people.

2. Editorial plan

Once you have chosen which paid, earned. And owned media channels you are going to use, you can start drawing up your editorial plan. Content is the basis of any marketing plan for obvious reasons and only quality content will allow you to achieve the goals you have set for yourself. Forward remember that your social page is not a website; your followers expect something in return after they start following you.

There are 4 key elements behind your editorial plan:

1. Your target
2. The tone of your brand
3. Your distribution channels
4. Your distribution tactics

The choice of your target is strictly linked to your business objectives. Identifying your target is very important to make sure your content is suitable for the type of audience you have decided to target. Your target will strongly influence your content marketing strategy.
The tone of your brand is closely linked to the type of audience. And the type of business in which you operate. For example, if you are a B2B company selling online safety software, your content will have a much more serious tone than it would if you were selling teen clothing.
The choice of distribution channels is link to your target, the tone. And the type of sector in which you operate.
The tone, your target. And the type of business in which you operate will have a considerable weight on the type of channel in which you will distribute your content.
Finally, the distribution tactics that include social content, blog posts, infographics, ads. And so on, will be closely link to the 3 elements discuss so far: target, tone and distribution channels. Each element is dependent on the others. And your distribution tactic must make sure that all three elements are in perfect coherence with each other.

3. The choice of the tool

An effective social media strategy also includes a selection of management tools capable of achieving the objectives set in the analysis phase.
So, after a thorough analysis of the owned, paid and earned media to consider and the creation of an editorial plan, start looking for the tools that can implement your plan.

In this case, what could do for you is a social media management tool, which will allow you to keep under control all the phases of your action plan. For example, software like Hootsuite will allow you, in addition to content creation. And management, to measure the performance of your strategy. While, for example. a tool like Saleforce will allow you to track revenue.

After considering these 3 aspects you will be able to implement a social media marketing strategy suitable for your business. The more accurate your strategy is, the more likely you are to succeed.

 

 

Disclaimer: The information on this website is provided for general informational purposes only. We make no warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any content. For more such intersting content follow us @ Biz grows