From a marketer’s standpoint, social media has become the hottest thing since sunburn. Social networks such as Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and others continue to solidify their status as the most efficient and effective marketing tools available to businesses in the digital age. But marketing on social media channels is something for which very few companies – even the biggest and most successful among them – have managed to develop a concretely effective formula. It is a relatively new way of spreading the word about a brand and engaging with target audiences and as such no one has captured lightning in a bottle in terms of a social media marketing strategy. But companies are definitely getting better at it every day.

What’s the Plan, Stan?
With so many different social media platforms and such a wide variety of benefits and advantages offered by each one, it is tempting for businesses to simply open an account on as many as they can. But without an effective social media plan, that actually becomes counterproductive as a company that does so is essentially spreading itself far too thin and making its marketing “strategy” very difficult to manage. Having a plan written out allows a business to reach the proper target audience and manage its resources with the goal of not only establishing a social media presence on multiple platforms but also establishing relationships through engagement with the right audience.

With that said, there are a few things that every social media manager should bear in mind when developing a marketing plan around the various social media channels.

Metrics
Successful social media marketing is a unique animal partly because there is no set-in-stone measuring stick for success. In other words, how does a company know when it has implemented a successful social media strategy? The answer to that question is actually another question – what are your social media goals? Is it simply to share information about your brand? Is it to expand awareness of the brand? Regardless of what your business’s social media goals are, they must be defined and they must be measurable. And don’t be afraid to fail. As was mentioned earlier, Social media marketing is the farthest thing from an exact science so expect some trial and error before you see measurable results.

Content Matters More Than You Think
If there is any marketing avenue that no company can afford to rest on its laurels, it is social media. A SM marketing manager may have come up with the hottest, most engaging social media post that generates an enormous response but it won’t be long at all before the target audience is asking, “what have you done for me lately?” Keeping social media content fresh is critical and that starts with having a well-thought out plan and schedule that keeps your audience coming back for more.

Direct Engagement With Customers
Before social media, even before the internet itself, there existed a wide chasm between a brand and its customer base. Customers could only engage with their favorite brands to a certain extent before the whole experience became impersonal, if it wasn’t impersonal to begin with. However, social media allows for a greater level of transparency and companies are able to communicate more openly with their customers and vice versa. This transparency breeds authenticity and authenticity breeds relationship. In other words, customers appreciate a company that can relate to them rather than just see them as a collection of dollar signs and that is what social media branding is all about.

If you have any questions about social media marketing or about ways in which you can develop your business’s social media strategy, contact us at 866-944-3244 or sales@servistree.com. Keep up with the latest news and information on social media marketing along with other small business news by subscribing to our blog by clicking here.