Good News About Social Media

The good news is actually great news: if you’ve ever worked in customer service, you already know how to do this stuff. Businesses that do really well in social media are not the ones that are the most technically savvy, or the even ones that have the most time to devote to their profiles; the most successful small businesses on social media are the ones who actually care about their customers and show that in the way they communicate.

I constantly have clients coming to me asking about the newest, latest platforms and technologies – and those things are great – but much more important than the “how” of social media is the “why”.

Whether you’re just getting started in the online space, or have been posting for a while, make sure that you’ve got the following 5 elements solid before you type another character:

5 Elements of Social Media Marketing

1. What’s The Best Outcome for My Business?

There are literally dozens of benefits that social media can have for brands online, but before you start spending your valuable time posting, tweeting and pinning, know what your objective is. Depending on your voice, platform and brand message, your benefits could include site traffic, brand awareness, customer service or relationships with other businesses.

2. What’s My Brand’s Voice?

This is closely aligned with your business’ marketing plan, which includes logos, website, pricing and positioning. All of those things contribute to the personality that your brand has, and that one personality should be consistent everywhere your brand appears, including social media messaging.

3. What are My Partner Businesses Doing?

Complementary brands to your own can provide major benefit to your social media effort, and they love it when you get involved in the conversation because it can benefit them as well. Take a look at what the businesses you collaborate with are doing. Once you get started, these should be the first accounts that you get in touch with; your relationships will deepen and everyone will be better off as a result.

4. What are My Competitors Doing?

Just because the vendor down the street has an active YouTube account doesn’t necessarily mean that you need one too, but look critically at who is doing what, and which brands are benefitting from their efforts.

There may be elements that you can use as inspiration for your own efforts, and very often you’ll find that there are voids where no one in your industry is taking advantage of the opportunities that are available.

5. What Else Am I Doing to Market My Brand?

Social Media is an amazing marketing tool, and it should be looked at as just that: a tool in your marketing plan. Your arsenal includes your website, your storefront, your advertising, and the products or services that you deliver to your customers. Every one of those elements can benefit each other as a part of an overall marketing plan.

Make sure that you’re maximizing the mutual benefit of everything that you’re doing by considering how viewers may experience them all. For example: do people who stop to check out your window display know where to find you online? Do people on your website know that they can connect with you on Facebook? Do happy customers know that they can tell the world about their experiences on a review site like Yelp.com?

The opportunities for brands online are nearly endless. By having a clear picture of why you’re doing each of the elements, and how they each benefit the overall marketing plan, you can make sure that every minute that you spend is working for you to build your business.

This is the first in a series of posts that will help you to use the incredible world of social media. I love talking about this stuff, so if you have any questions about getting your brand online please leave a comment below, or contact me directly to talk about taking your presence to the next level.