I’ve seen far too many poorly created social media posts and I’ve heard far too many companies scared about social media. Yes, social media is an important platform. Yes, social media can be helpful to your business. However, it is important to lay the groundwork and consider your audiences before you start posting.
I sat in a meeting just this week with a company wanting desperately to start a social media campaign. They were correct in the belief that they needed social media since their target market is almost exclusively a millennial generation. Their incorrect thinking was that they were ready for a social media campaign.
When we started talking about their product and their brand is was apparent that they were miles away from being ready to post anything on any social media platform. This company didn’t have a clear position in the market. They did not have a defined brand and thus no brand story. And, it seemed that the processes for delivery of their product were in need of some fine-tuning.
There is no better way to kill a product than to drive customers to the product before it is ready. While social media can be an incredible platform to get your message across to your audience it is also an incredible platform for your customers to tell the world your product is bad.
So before you start posting, consider these basics:
Define Your Brand
Make sure you have a great brand that fully represents your product and distinguishes you in the market. This may require some work to understand how your brand is currently viewed vs. how you want your brand to be viewed. If there are gaps – you need to work to fill them. Because there are a lot of components to your brand you may need to conduct a through assessment and then begin the hard work of making some changes to your product, systems, and people.
Know Your Customer
Understanding your customer is key to effective social media. Your goal is not just to post a lot, you want to post with engagement. It is very difficult to engage with an audience you don’t understand. So, to be engaging it is critical to know your target demographic and know what moves them. Find their points of interaction and how they engage with other brands. Reach them with the social media that matters to them and define your brand in ways that engage them to comment, tweet, post, and share. Through social media your target audience can carry your brand story.
Have a Plan
Remember, it’s not about how often you post but rather what you post. Just like any other media platform social media is crowded. To cut through the noise and clutter you must create meaningful content on a consistent basis. Create a plan that conveys your brand and creates pathways for your customers to engage. Part of your plan should include crafting the right messages for the specific social media site, understanding the habits of your target market so you know when to post and how often to post. Spend time developing careful messaging that reflects, personifies, and promotes your brand.
Social media shouldn’t scare you but it should move you get busy strategizing for your brand. It’s time to get social!
