With half-closed eyes, the first ritual I do is “checking my social media.”
Seems like it’s a sin when I miss any recent update in the newsfeed.
From all this, we can conclude one thing “social media is taking over the world.” Be it millennials or Gen Z, you will find them on social media.
Needless to say, brands are more conscious about their online presence. It is of no surprise that social media is a powerful tool to persuade your customers.
People scroll their Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube feed to make informed purchasing decisions (including me.) As a brand, your job is to engage with these potential customers and gather more leads.
Spotify is one such brand that keeps Millenials and Gen Z community engaged. Their marketing hugely revolves around social media strategy and cross-channel promotion. In 2019 alone, Spotify churned out the decade in review and Music for Every Mood, which went viral across the internet.
The key is to develop a strategy that keeps giving. Spotify did not have a successful plan from day one, and the team worked hard to find that right mix. This guide will tell you about some critical decisions one should take to make your social strategy shine.
1. Consistent branding
Do not leave your brand to interpretation, assumption, and customization.
Your branding should showcase who you are and how you look visually. The age-old example of McDonald’s fits here. A 6-year-old can tell you that McDonald’s includes red & yellow colours and the huge M’ signage belongs to it.
The logo is a crucial part of your visual branding; it should be the same across all social media platforms. McDonald’s customizes the header image according to the platform, but branding rules remain intact (yellow, red, white).
You need to follow the branding guidelines religiously. The same rules should reflect on your social media platforms, with no variation.
2. Planning ahead
Grand strategies are made ahead in time. You cannot predict the next big internet trend, but you can highlight your reaction to it. Scheduling and planning are the power features of a great social media plan, and it always keeps you in safe water.
You can plan a month in advance and record everything down to the last detail on a scheduling tool. Social media scheduling tools are also available as browser extension plugins, so you don’t even have to change tabs.
Ad-driven social media platforms like Facebook are a marketer’s best friend. Scheduling posts ahead of time give you a chance to think of the next campaign and be creative. You always have more time and in no rush to send a half-baked post.
Pre-planning is also beneficial in maintaining a consistent tone and content themes. You still have a birds-eye view of next week/month and also at what the competitors are doing. Make sure that you also keep an eye on consumer engagement and their sentiment towards past posts to improve in the future.
3. Social media audits
A solid social strategy looks at the bigger picture. It asks questions like what works and what should be eliminated. Social media audits help you keep that check on each piece of content. Savvy marketers take more time to reflect on campaigns before jumping on to the next one.
If you are new to the social arena, an audit is even more important. Looking deep into the social profiles, you can uncover exactly why something is not working. You can figure out the ideal time to post, the best demographic to cater to, and the ideal target persona for your brand from a month after you begin posting.
60% of brands struggle to calculate their return on investment (ROI). You can also end up paying more and deliver less value, which is a recipe for disaster. Here is the basic formula for calculating social ROI:
(earning-cost) x 100 / costs
An audit can give you a number to start from, and then you can consult with the marketing department to refine this number. At the end of a social audit, you will have new brand goals, new objectives, and a clear idea of the next important posts.
4. Content marketing
Content strategy is like fuel for your social media strategy. Wholesome Culture is a clothing brand, and all its products are ‘ethically made.’ This one point agenda guides their content strategy. The brand message is loud and clear- they make cruelty-free clothing and donate 15% of profit to animal rescue organizations.
Wholesome culture Instagram
Wholesome Culture relies on Instagram for visually appealing messages. They don’t just push their merchandise in every post but also include memes and healthy living tips in the mix. As a result of this, they have created a community of people who love their content and get inspired by their remarkable work.
Content will help you make friends with your customers and keep a lasting relationship. Social audits help in shortlisting types of content that work, and community engagement further solidifies your learning.
Another tip is to work with content creators in your niche. Content creators provide a new dimension to your content process and also bring their organic reach and engagement to your social media platforms.
5. Engaging with customers
What’s the point of putting fantastic content for the community if you don’t have time to respond to them?
The sooner you start engaging with the customers, the better. Even if you are a small business with few engaged customers, tend to engage them regularly.
It is a critical element in growing your network and making a great first impression on anyone who stumbles on your page. An excellent social strategy always keeps a window for interacting, responding, asking questions, and connecting the dots.
National Geographic has aced the engagement game by welcoming their community with open arms. Nat Geo Your Shot is the place for budding photographers to show their shots of nature to the world, through Nat Geosocial media.
Nat Geo editors release their favourite picks of photos every month, which is a huge motivation for someone in the field.
If you keep your community close, your community will keep your brand close to their hearts. This is one lesson that applies to both brick & mortar and online businesses.
Last word
The social media landscape is ever-changing. The most significant element of your social strategy is flexibility. Stay aligned with new trends, even if it is on a day’s notice. You will see how the audience responds, and your brownie points will increase.
Stick to the core tactics like the ones mentioned above, and keep doing that good work. No plan is a good plan unless you make it work. We hope these tips give a head start to your social strategy.
