A solid strategy is required for social media marketing. Users want to receive informative and well-researched content at the right time, which is disseminated channel-specifically. It is therefore part of the social media strategy to prepare content for the platforms and end devices accordingly. This only works with a strategic orientation of content generation.
Core questions in social media marketing
It is important to recognize that every social media strategy is multi-faceted. This is always a marketing strategy, only the specific requirements of social media have to be considered. This includes that the half-life of information is significantly shorter than in other media. First of all, it is important to formulate the core questions of your own social media strategy, based on your own company goals. As a rule, it boils down to the following questions (with different weighting of the individual points):
- What is the goal of your own social media strategy?
- Which user group should be reached with social media?
- Which content should be communicated on which platforms?
- How is content production going?
Here’s how you do it:
Define goals
As with any strategy in marketing, realistic goals must also be defined for social media. These result from overarching corporate goals. Whoever sells products, for example, could define the primary goal of publicizing a newly launched brand. However, companies that struggle with image problems (for example because of problematic products that can be considered environmentally harmful) are persistently working on their image in the social media area. Some companies also have to take care of their employer branding in order to promote their recruiting. Common goals of a social media strategy can be:
- Increase brand awareness
- Build up a positive image
- more range
- Acquiring new customers, conversion and customer loyalty
- Customer focus on service
- Sales
- Knowledge transfer
The goal of making changes in one of the areas mentioned via social media channels must be realistic. A lot can be achieved with viral measures via Facebook & Co., but far from everything. Unrealistic goals demotivate the teams and may also consume unnecessary financial resources. In modern companies, the social media strategy is worked out as a team, and there is regular brainstorming. Initially, the goals are formulated generically, and they are only defined for the strategy that has been fully developed. You then need a specification that can be achieved using the so-called SMART formula (Specific-Measurable-Achievable-Reasonable Time Bound, i.e. goals are specifically defined, measurable, attractive for the team, realistic and firmly scheduled).
Concrete development of the social media strategy
The overall goal should be broken down into sub-goals, which is also a common method for any strategy. At this moment – when defining sub-goals – measurability already plays an essential role. The social media area offers excellent tools for this. The number of likes and followers on Facebook, for example, can be seen immediately. For example, a company could set out to reach a five-digit number of followers within six months. Sub-goals must also be defined in terms of content. Common objectives are:
- Comprehensive information from new and existing customers about their own product strategy
- Start a dialogue with your own target group
- significant (measurable) increase in sales
Get to know your own target group
A social media strategy not only ensures communication from the company to the customer, but also the opposite direction. That is the big difference to classic advertising. Companies should be very attentive to the signals from their customers on platforms such as Facebook, where posts are posted, and respond to them wherever possible. Larger companies employ entire teams for this. Even a small company should at least check what is happening on their Facebook page every day.
Which channels are best suited for the social media strategy?
Facebook remains undefeated, followed by Instagram and Twitter. You should Buy Instagram Followers and likes at a very cheap rate from Social Captain. These channels occasionally change in the ranking, only Facebook (as of 2019) has held the top spot for years. It is undoubtedly a good strategy to monitor this development closely. Little is said about Snapchat, for example, which was still in 3rd place in the ranking in 2017. Pinterest and even more so Tumblr have clearly lost users. This proves the fact mentioned at the beginning: A social media strategy has to cope with the rapidly changing changes in social media.
The content production
The content must be relevant, interesting and concise. Nobody reads long articles online without paragraphs, but with box sentences. Headlines should get to the point with a maximum of four to five words – less is always better. The YouTuber Rezo demonstrated in the spring of 2019 before the European elections that this was possible: he put a video with the title “The Destruction of the CDU” online and received clicks in the tens of millions. The video had the first four to five million views before the CDU reacted to it inappropriately (which fueled interest even more). How is something like this possible? Quite simply: Rezo put the words “destruction” and “CDU” in a headline. This is a brilliant move in terms of communication, because both terms are recognized by every German in a fraction of a second, but they have never existed in context. Anyone who thinks about a social media strategy today should simply think about such short, concise excitement for their own products in the course of content production. However, pictures and videos are just as important. Here it can be succinct motifs, colors and cuts that generate a fabulous attention (and which Rezo also used, because he appears on the still image of the video, which can be seen everywhere, with his blue hair, the blue shirt and the matching one blue background like a cartoon character). Without letting the discussion get out of hand, we find that there is content that everyone immediately understands and that immediately attracts attention, but there is also the opposite. Nobody understands some headlines and content. Nobody bothered to research them – what for?
Content creation: Note content lifecycle
Content creation is tedious and consists of four phases that make up the so-called content lifecycle:
- 1. Create content
- 2. Control and approval of the content
- 3. Publication
- 4. Archiving
It’s also about the time factor. Larger companies therefore work non-stop on their content production and thus also on their social media strategy.
How much can your own image be influenced by a social media strategy?
With the right strategy, it is possible to greatly enhance a company and / or brand image. However, the content of this should be considered very carefully. Otherwise, the viral distribution of content online can trigger the undesirable opposite – a shit storm. Somewhat harmless effects such as boredom and lack of interest among the audience are also possible. This is also why point 2 in the content lifecycle is so important. Your own team should be completely convinced of the content. What falls through internally should not be easier for the mass audience of the network.
Author:
My name is Najaf Khan and I’m professional content writer at Pakseoexpert company. I have 2-year experience of social media marketing and content writing.
