All companies currently have some profile in any of the countless social networks that exist, but, despite this, in many cases the results are not noticed, it is not possible to increase the community of followers and, in addition, you have less and less interaction with them. This is usually linked to the budget allocated to this type of corporate communication is decreasing with the passage of the weeks.
Table of Contents
The strategy in social networks is essential and must have planning from the first moment.
At the beginning, it is thought that it is best to put a lot of content often, commenting on the job well done in the company and what are the star products.
But, above all, we must take into account one very clear thing: social networks will act as a means of recommendation and not as one of direct sales.
The strategy in Social Networks
To correctly develop a social media strategy, you must first set the objectives based on the rules of social networks, that is, look for the recommendations of third parties and, little by little, be part of the consumer’s life. The first step is to know the network in which one is moving and its users.
Next, branding is the fundamental pillar to build a successful brand, this does not guarantee a purchase by users, but it can have a positive impact when comparing similar products and services. Then, the movements to follow must be planned.
Steps to develop a successful Social Media strategy
Definition of the target audience
A fundamental step is to be clear about the profile of the audience you want to reach, because, if you are not having interactions or any type of activity, it is that no one is reading the publications. The best way to beat the competition is to differentiate yourself from others, so it is advisable to choose a specific niche and focus on relevant content tailored to this audience. For this, you must study the current customer base and try to create demographic characters based on needs, analyzing if you want to maintain this customer base or if you aspire to a different one. Social networks have tools that help us understand this audience, whether through Facebook Insights, Twitter Analytics, Instagram Analytics, LinkedIn Analytics… In this way, in addition, you can see in which networks our audience is located and focus on these media.
Definition of objectives
We must always keep in mind that the objective of social networks is not to sell, but to advertise and reach more people in this way, build a brand image. That’s why it’s important to send a message that connects with the audience and builds trust. Some of these objectives can be: to generate brand awareness; developing relationships with influencers, bloggers and the press; offer excellent customer service; drive traffic to a website; increase subscribers in email; drive conversions; increase page time or change brand perception.
Defining metrics
These are very specific to each social network and are usually summarized in the number of posts per week, number of followers you have, the likes received… Currently, almost all social networks have their own analytics tool that helps us obtain and understand these metrics, as we have seen in previous points.
Content planning and publishing
The gap between the amount of content created and the amount of content actually consumed on social media is rapidly widening, so it’s increasingly important to generate quality content, rather than quantity. If valuable content is created through social channels, it is possible that more audience reaches the website, in turn attracting the ideal customer that was being sought. Examples of social media content include: new product updates, user-generated content, blog posts, videos, famous quotes related to the company, product or services, press notes, comments from other bloggers, tips and tricks, sales promotions or contests.
Analysis and search for insights
Finally, data on the activity in the networks must be obtained and analyzed, always looking for optimization. A social media strategy is never going to be perfect, so you may need to test, experiment, and modify the strategy on the fly. Weekly reports should be made to track progress, measuring indicators relevant to the desired objectives and optimizing where it is deemed necessary. With all this information, we must propose actions according to the objectives.
Planning and measurement are fundamental in Social Media
All this will mark what must be done day by day in the networks. Therefore, we must not forget to make a calendar of publications in order to have a little clearer what is going to be published each day. In this way, the updates will be more thought out and will have more possibilities to meet the objective that you set at the beginning when the strategy was elaborated.
It should be noted that it is essential to choose KPIs or key performance indicators well. Without them, in the end you will not be able to know if the job is being done well or if the campaign is on the optimal path of achieving the objectives. Therefore, comparable and simple data must be required, with which to form an easy-to-analyze dashboard.
The process does not happen during the night, and it will take some creative fieldwork to make everything connect, but if you remain loyal to the audience, work and exploit the qualities of the firm in front of competitors, you will notice the results visibly.
