7 Essential Elements Of Effective Social Media Marketing

An effective social media marketing strategy helps jump start you business. The success of your business lies in the strategic planning and application. You and your team must put together your heads and be as creative yet strategic as you can.
 
What are the essential elements of an effective social media strategy? Here are a few guide questions to help you get started:
 
1. What are your business goals?
Have you ever thought of your company’s SMART goals. Now is a good time to come up with specific, measurable, actionable, relevant, and timely goals.
What are your company’s needs? How do you plan to use social media? Brand awareness, customer loyalty, and reducing costs are some of the factors that you need to consider.
With your goals, you should also have clear-cut objectives. All members of your team should understand and live up to these objectives. That is why it is crucial to brainstorm as a team.
 
2. What type of analytics will you use?
Once you have set up goals, define how you can measure the success. Analytics helps you see tangible results. These helps you determine the opportunities for improvement. Remember, your goals have to be achievable. How else can you determine if you have achieved the goals than by having clear numerical results. Analytics helps you quantify the results of your goals.
 
3. Who are your target audience?
It is important to know who your customers are. Are you catering to the right group of people? Create personas and think of their age, income, occupation, interests, pains, and age group. These demographics help you come up with methods on how to meet their needs. Once you have come up with specific personas, it’ll be easier to target them on social media. This means more conversions and click-throughs on your campaigns.
 
4. Who are your competition?
Eavesdropping on your competitors allows you to see what’s working for them. You don’t need to copy them but you’ll have a better idea of what makes them click. Knowing your competition also helps you think of ways on what sets you apart from them. Always think of the question that prospects have, “What makes you different from them?”
 
5. What is your main platform?
Consider where most of your audiences are. If most of your prospects are on Twitter, then bring your campaigns there and spend less time on Facebook. Also, you should have your own homepage. Having your own website establishes you as an authority in the market. A unique website means you don’t have to rely on other social media platforms. Plus, you can customize your pages based on your preferences.
 
6. What is your content strategy?
The content should be interesting enough so people will share it on social media. Context is very important. Create content that your audience will find interesting that they keep reading. Your content should also align with your company’s goals and voice. It should always address the customer’s question, “What’s in it for me?” Once you address the WIIFM, make sure that you post content on a regular basis to keep them hooked.
 
7. Who are your team players?  
Don’t be afraid to allocate tasks. Your team is there to share responsibilities. Assign projects based on a person’s expertise. Having too much on your plate will cause burnout and will affect your business’ success. Delegate and your team will even thank you for it.
 
Conclusion
Social media is one of the most effective tools in business. Social media is not only used by millennials for socialization. Majority of businesses reach out to the public by making use of these social media platforms. If you haven’t started out yet, now is the time to do so.