By now everyone is aware of the need for social media. Regardless of your type, B2B, B2C, manufacturer, or retailer, you must have a social media presence. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and LinkedIn have all become a necessary part of the marketing mix. But what does it mean?
Social media is not a checklist. It’s not just post and pray. You cannot set up the accounts and post once in awhile and expect any results. Social media is no different than the rest of your business plan, and its integration is necessary. It is an integral part of your marketing and advertising plan, one that requires a budget, analytics, and a dedicated person to take care of the intricacies involved. Remember social media is post, connect and converse, all the time.
Gone are the days when anyone in your business with a Facebook account could be responsible for your social media strategy. And that is the essential part of this article. Social media is not a checklist. You can’t just open a bunch of accounts and call your social media strategy done. You need to put in place a plan for content, posting schedule, how to handle comments and who will interact online.
With the season slowing down, now is an excellent opportunity to put down on paper a plan to use these valuable marketing tools. Make sure your social media ties in with your monthly sales and marketing goals for a cohesive presentation to the end user. A disjointed and inconsistent message will cost you business.
It could be as simple or complicated as you make it, but working on a plan now will pay off in the busy season. At the very least the program should include each month’s marketing and sales goals and then the associated social media posts related to these goals. Are you having your annual open house? Then make sure you have an event set up on your Facebook page. Having the plan in place will allow you to build the appropriate content with high-quality images and a call to action. Include all of these needs in your plan to ensure you aren’t running around when the time to post comes.
The other important thing to remember is social media is “social.” It’s not just posting about your sales and business; it’s providing value to your customer and listening as well. Make sure the person in charge of your social stream has the knowledge to answer questions quickly and accurately. If they don’t, then please ensure that he/she knows who or where to get the correct answer. Build value in your customer’s eyes, and you will see an increase in business as a result.
So what are you waiting for? Need help? Use the power of immediate action and get going.
I hope you’ve enjoyed the content I provided this year. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed sharing my knowledge and ideas each month, and I’m pleased to announce that I will be back for another year in 2018. With that in mind, if there are any topics you would like me to cover or provide insight to, please reach out to me via email at [email protected].
Happy Holidays!
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