Social media is a powerful marketing tool for businesses, but a successful social media strategy depends on choosing the right platforms upon which to focus your efforts and resources. By careful considering which platforms your company will focus on, you can ensure that your time, energy and money is invested in the places that are most likely to deliver the return you are looking for.
Set clear aims and objectives
The bedrock of your social media activity should be your business’ overall marketing strategy. Your choice of social media platforms should align with the audience(s) you endeavour to reach and the outcomes you are hoping to achieve.
Keep in mind that there are many potential benefits to social media marketing beyond generating revenue, although that is of course a valuable outcome. Social media can also help you to:
- Generate press coverage;
- Build relationships with potential/future partners;
- Increase brand awareness;
- Improve brand sentiment;
- Add subscribers to your mailing list;
- Drive more traffic to your website.
In addition to your overall aims, you should be crystal clear about what you hope to achieve from each specific social media platforms you are using. For example, you might decide that Instagram is the best place to sell more products online, whilst Twitter allows you to identify and secure more PR opportunities.
Consider the resources you have available
Social media is a vast and expansive world and yet almost all businesses have finite resources for marketing. Thus, it’s essential that you strategically choose the platforms that your business will focus on.
Rather than spread your resources too thin, it is usually advisable to start with one or two platforms and build your activity up from there. This approach will also allow you to test out different strategies and gather data in order to evaluate what works best for your business.
Review your social media strategy regularly
Social media never stands still and it’s vital that your marketing strategy doesn’t stagnate either. You should regularly review which platforms your business has a presence on, paying attention especially to whether your audience is growing and whether your activity on the said platform is contributing to your overall marketing aims and objectives. If it seems as though your social media strategy is stagnating, then it’s time to consider making a change. That could include adjusting your content strategy, investing less time and resources into a certain platform or branching out on to platforms you haven’t previously been using.
Go Publicity publishes regular blogs packed full of expert advice to help you develop your social media marketing, as well as addressing other topics related to PR and marketing. Read our articles for more social media guidance and feel free to reach out to speak to our team of specialists about your aims, objectives and strategies for using social media effectively.