Over the past decade, social media has become less of an optional marketing opportunity and more of a priority. In fact, platforms like Facebook and Twitter have become integral parts of brand awareness, content distribution and customer acquisition strategies for businesses. This is especially true for startups working with smaller budgets and grassroots campaigns, who want to stay connected with their audiences online.
But with this great opportunity comes countless failures, as businesses struggle to utilise social media effectively. To ensure you’re on the right track, we’ve put together a step-by-step guide to help you maximise the potential of your social media platforms.
1. Have a social media strategy: Before everything else, have a clearly defined plan. Too often organisations try to nab a spot on social media without first having a strategy in place. Before you fill out that registration form and begin churning out your posts, you need a detailed strategy that will drive your focus and keep you on track. The first step is to figure out how you would like your brand to be portrayed as. Align your social media approach with the culture you have established for your business. Does you prefer a straightforward, classic approach, or do you take more of an easygoing, relaxed feel? Whichever defines your business, that's the approach you should take when building your social media strategy.
2. Determine your goals. After honing in on your approach, it’s necessary to define your social media goals. Decide what you want to gain from being on social media, whether it be brand awareness, content distribution, lead generation or customer acquisition. This will help you create a profile that knocks your communications goals out of the park, and will also guide how you engage with your audience online.
3. Select your social media platform(s). Depending on your strategy, approach, and goals, you should be able to determine which social media platforms are right for your startup. Facebook is by far the largest social media platform available, so if you’re looking to reach the masses, it is a great place to start. Twitter, on the other hand, is ideal for businesses with a focus on content distribution and one-on-one customer engagement. For B2B startups and companies looking to find business partners, LinkedIn is extremely valuable.
4. Create quality content. One of the benefits of social media is the opportunity it gives you not just to deliver your message to your audience, but to interact with them and get their feedback. With a little effort, you can form real connections that will impact how people see your brand. How do you do this? Engage your audience, rather than simply selling to them. If all you do is blast your generic marketing message, people will tune it out. But if you take the time to listen to your audience’s opinions, answer their questions and address their issues, they’ll begin to see you not as a corporate façade, but as a trusted friend.