With more than 85 percent of companies using social media to market their products or services, it has become very hard to stand out from the crowd in the digital space. If you want to take your social media efforts to the next level and see a sound ROI from online campaigns, here are our suggestions for success.
1. Stop spraying and praying
The old saying of “fail to plan, plan to fail” could not be truer when it comes to social media marketing. Having a cohesive plan and calendar in place that highlights what your company wants to promote, which platform you’ll be promoting that message, and who will handle managing the messaging is essential to social media success.
2. Get to know your audience
Relevancy is the name of the game if you want to see social media ROI in 2020. If you want to amplify your social media content, it is essential to know whom you are trying to target and what their pain points are. Figure out how to solve those paint points via your social media content strategy, and you’ll have digital marketing gold!
3. Know which platforms to use and ignore
Once you have a good understanding of who your audience is, you should know which social platforms they spend their time on. Work to maximize the effectiveness of your communications where your target market is engaging the most. Demographics for each social media platform change constantly, so do your research each year to know where your company should be placing its focus.
4. Establish a cohesive tone
Don’t give your social media followers whiplash with inconsistent branding and messaging. Determine what kind of tone you want to set for your company (fun, super professional, edgy, etc.) and keep that tone consistent in all your online communications.
5. Build trust
As fake news and foreign bots continue to dominate our social feeds, especially in an election year, being reliable and trustworthy is essential in order to amplify your company’s brand. Work to be an trustworthy resource of information and feedback to keep current and potential customers engaged.
6. Pay attention to the competition
Ignorance is not bliss when it comes to social media success. Dismissing what your competitors are doing will allow them to gain the upper hand and potentially steal online market share. Consistently check your competitor’s messaging, how big their audience is, promotions, and content efforts to identify any gaps in your company’s social strategy.
7. Don’t rinse. Wash. Repeat
Posting the same kinds of content repeatedly or the exact post on all social platforms is a big mistake that brands often make. Online followers consume content differently on all social platforms. Be mindful of where you’re posting, what you’re posting and what is getting the best engagement for true success.
8. Follow the “Rule of Thirds”
Just like in face-to-face communications, no one wants to hear a ton of bragging or self-promotion. Best practices dictate that 1/3 of your company’s social media content should work to promote, 1/3 should educate or be useful, and 1/3 should entertain or be structured in a way that it tells an authentic story about your company.
9. Pound the stone
There is no magic bullet when it comes to promoting a brand online. It takes a lot of planning, analyzing, and the ability to pivot when things are not working. Work to set detailed key performance indicators (KPI’s) for all your social media efforts and consistently work to improve them in order to maximize your company’s social media results.
Jackie Wright is the president of Rainmaker Integrated, a public relations and marketing firm with a specialization in restaurants, retail, hospitality, multifamily housing and niche healthcare.
