9 Steps on How to Launch a Social Media Strategy that Stands Out

updated 7/22/2019

When small business owners think about expanding their brand they think social media is a great place to go.  But once they get there they just aren't sure what to do, or even more so, they don't know where to begin.

To some, they feel comfortable with Facebook because they use it personally.  But when it comes to using social media for business, they just don't know where to go or what exactly it is they should be doing.  Some businesses just do not get Twitter. But even those that proclaim to get it, just are not doing it correctly.

It can be seen on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram — you name it. But while everyone is wanting to get noticed and stand out on social media, it certainly isn't easy.

 

 

According to Rebekah Radice, 97% of consumers say they now turn to the Internet before making contact with a business. That means that you definitely want to be on the Internet for your business and you want to differentiate yourself from others like never before. But, if you are a wise entrepreneur or business owner, you know you need to maintain your social media presence.

But, being on social media isn't going to be all that you need to do.  You need to do it well and have a PLAN.

It is very important that you show up ready to be social.  It isn't about just pretending to have a social platform such as Twitter or Facebook but you need to really see it as a tool —  ready to engage with people while you provide value.  It just isn't good enough for you to show up. You must be vibrant, stand out, be fresh all the while delivering fresh content to your readers.

You and I both know though that this isn't done in the time it takes to put on your shoes. It takes much more time.

But where do you begin? What is the starting point?

Putting together a social media strategy will help you stay clear and focused on what it is that you are trying to accomplish.

Here are 9 Steps on How to Launch a Social Media Strategy that Stands Out

Surely you will feel inspired and ready to take some steps to improve your social media after this!

1. Know Your Target Market

Who is it that you have in your mind as your ideal customer? Of course we know you want everyone to use your services, but when you market to the masses and do so generally it often leaves everyone feeling that maybe you are talking to someone else.  Be specific.  If you sell golf clubs for example, then you may have a target market of men, in a certain age range that you are hoping to find on social media.  By knowing who it is that your target market customer is, allows you to figure out what other interests they also have and where else they may be on social media when they are having ‘downtime' and showing an interest in their hobbies, etc..

2. Create and Design Your Content

If you have a website, you'll be able to use much of the content from there to push the vision of your content on social media.  But you won't just be copy/pasting the information.  You'll want to pull ‘nuggets' of information and use that in various ways. When you think of content creation, think diversity and think salt and pepper style with various methods.  You'll want to consider using visual content, links to your website, contests, value-based ‘Did you Know…' type of content and general random questions. All of these have a different purpose in what they offer but the key is to change things up a bit in the way you share valuable information on social media.

3. Follow the 85/15 Rule

This simply means that you are going to promote your services 15% of the time and 85% of the time you are going to connect in other ways. Filling that 85% for some is difficult, but when you relax and think about what people want, it becomes easier. Examples: humor, inspiration, motivation, quick tips, education, local events, workshops, seminars, blog posts from other businesses, behind the scenes information or photos, and sometimes just a glimpse of things that matter to you personally.

4. Keep Your Branding Consistent

Consistency on social media is very important and when you know who your target customers are and you know what your brand is, that makes it much easier to be consistent with your branding. That may mean using a consistent font, color scheme, conversation-style and method in which you communicate with your audience.

5. Be Ready for Change, Often

Social media is here to stay but if you know anything about social media you know that there are always changes on current platforms (Facebook may come to mind as they are constantly making big changes it seems). You need to stay abreast of changes within your industry as well as changes in social media. We at Sweet Tea Social Marketing are always posting on changes in social media but Social Media Examiner and Agorapulse also are great websites to see what may be coming down the pipeline.  Sometimes these changes will be things you want to start implementing, such as videos uploaded directly within Facebook being amazingly HOT or it could be a chance that means you'll need to stop or change how you do things.

6. Check Your Analytics

If you are using social media, you definitely want to include in your strategy to check and see how your postings are doing. This is referred to as your analytics. Within Facebook, you can enjoy looking at Facebook Insights. I personally really love looking at all the data within Facebook to see the analytics for myself as well as my clients.  The information is very helpful. Whether you want to see which posts are getting the most reach or what time of day is the best time for you to be posting, it provides data that you can use to improve your social strategy. Here also is a great resource for free social media tools. Agorapulse, Facebook Analytics and Twitter Analytics are among my top favorites!

7. Engage Your Audience

Don't just start a social media strategy, set it all up and disappear. That is the worst thing you can do. Remember, it is called social media. So that means you need to show up and be social. Engaging with your audience is key to great social media success.  You'll want to ask questions, and when people answer, interact and engage with them. Otherwise, if you are just there to have a one-sided conversation it doesn't lend itself to the notion that you really want to get to know your audience.

8. Stand Up and be Different

Let's be honest. Your business is not the only one that offers your services or products. There are others out there that do something similar to you most likely.  But why should people do business with you?  Why should they connect with you on social media?  If you don't know the answer to that question, then I highly recommend you get a pen and paper and have a quick brainstorm session because this is THAT important! Let's assume you have a great product, great people and great process already in place.  What is the ‘awesomesauce' that makes working with you and choosing your brand above the competition? Better than the rest? Be bold and be different and people will remember you. It is one step closer to helping you create RAVING FANS…and we all know that the raving fans want to see you succeed because they believe in you.

9. Promote Your Influencers and Community

Something that many small business owners do that I have noticed is think that by making notice of others in someway takes away from their brand/business. That simply is not the case.  It is very important to promote your influencers and your community on social media.  Not only does it show that you notice others are out there putting out great content but it shows that you have others that you are motivated by, that inspire you and that you think are worthy of checking out.  There is something to be said when people pay attention to or notice another business.  Maybe it won't be your top competition however there is a great method to really show attention to others in a way that makes you look professional and like a leader that is paying attention.  For example, if you are a local interior designer and you have a realtor that you recently worked with and you notice they posted a great blog post on their website that could be helpful to your audience, consider sharing their post on your social media platform. A great way to do this is to have a goal to make sure you are letting other businesses know you are on social media and ask them if they are as well.  By taking 15 minutes every week to comment, like and share on some of their business pages, it brings visibility not only to your brand because you now are appearing on their Facebook business page, but it also will let that business owner know that you are paying attention and are willing to interact with them.  When you come across as being interested in other businesses and the mutual growth of each business owner it shows that you are a team player and people like being around those kinds of people.

Showing Up and Making a Difference in Social Media

By showing up to be on social media and really making an effort to be social, have a strategy and engage with people, we're able to really make genuine connections that will let people know that we are in it for the long haul.  Social media isn't going away. It isn't going to disappear and be a trend that just was here for a brief period.  So by showing up and making social media a solid part of your marketing plan will not only let your prospective customers know you are here to stay, but they'll enjoy interacting with you much more when you do so. Whether you are reading 5 Things I've Learned on Social Media or you are at a networking event, there are always opportunities to gain more insight and continue to grow in your social media insight. Never stop learning.

Question: What’s your best strategy on social media that has given you great results? Share your answer by leaving a comment below.