How to Build a Social Media Strategy

 

Using social media for your business can be fun, but it can be a lot of work. The first step is knowing why you are using it. From there, you develop your strategy so everything circles back to your “why.”

The question I received this week was from someone who was just hired to by a jewelry start-up to handle their social media. Their question was -

How do I build a social media strategy?

Social media has become an integral part of today’s marketing landscape.  It is something all businesses need to take part in or they will be the odd man out and who really wants that?

Once you’ve decided that you want your business to have a social media presence, you have to figure out how to best use it to your advantage.  That is where a social media strategy comes in.  Some businesses choose to hire a social media manager to handle it, however many businesses want to do it themselves.  Either way, here are some things to consider when you set up a social media strategy for your business.

1: Figure out the WHO.

Think about who your ideal client is.  Who is your most popular type of customers – moms, businessmen, college students?  Figuring out who your audience is, is the first step.
  
2: Figure out WHERE they are online.


Take a hard look at that target audience.  Are they stay-at-home moms who spend a lot of time on Facebook?  Are they business professionals who are on LinkedIn a lot?  Once you decide where your audience is, that is the platform you should start with. If you find they are on more than one platform, start with the strongest and then add in the second one.  There is no sense is being active on every single social media platform if your target market/audience is only on one or two.  You do not want to spread yourself thin.  I suggest concentrating on doing one or two platforms and doing them well.
Side note: If you are targeting teens, you may want to give Instagram and SnapChat a good look - this is where they are going.

3: DEFINE your goal in using the chosen platform(s) to connect with your audience.

Ask yourself what do you want to get out of your social marketing efforts – sales?  Brand advocates?  Increased engagement & relationship building?  How you use your social media will really come from this.  If you want to increase sales, for example, you would want to take advantage of Facebook offers or holding a contest.  If you want to increase engagement, you would want to post questions and images that will generate a response.  Your goal is like your compass.  Everything you do should point you to that goal.

4: DEVELOP A PLAN to get there.

Now that you have your audience identified, your platforms picked and your goal set, now you have decide what you are going to do to get to that goal.  This step goes hand-in-hand with step 3.  Often these are done at the same time.  You definitely want to be active and post at least 2-3 times per day.  Contests, tips, question & answer sessions and sharing information are all types of content that will help you achieve your goal. You need to ask yourself – how many times am I going to post?  How much time do I/can I invest in this?

5: WRITE IT OUT.

This is where all of the previous steps work into a formidable plan.  Take all the ideas you have had and write them down.  Decide on a content (posting) schedule.  Do you want to post 2 times per day or 3 or more?   When do you want to post?  Are you going to run a contest?  If so, when?  For how long?  Are you going to run ads to help with your Facebook page visibility?

I see this step as laying out the road map for your social media marketing efforts.  Having a written (or typed) out plan will help you achieve your goal(s).  Pin it up somewhere you will see it and act on it.  There’s nothing worse than putting time and energy into a plan and not acting on it.

How else would you go about creating your social media strategy? Read More

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No Blog Traffic? Here’s a Simple Strategy to Seduce Readers and Win Clients

Don't live on the edge with your Blog!

You sit down at your desk.

You start your computer.


You check Google Analytics and your email provider dashboard. A deep sigh escapes from your soul.

Why is your number of email subscribers still so low?
Why aren’t readers flocking to your blog?
And when will those business inquiries finally arrive?

We all know that blogging is hard work, but what should you do when your efforts don’t seem to pay off?

Should you cross your fingers and keep plugging away? Hope that your readership will snowball? Pray that business inquiries will soon flood your inbox?

You need a new blog strategy, not wishful thinking.

When your blog isn’t doing as well as you’d like, don’t simply step up your efforts. Don’t keep slaving away.

Instead, take a step back and review what you’ve done so far. Do you have the right building blocks in place to seduce readers and win clients?

If you want to create a simple blog plan that will help you win more readers, fans, and clients, answer the five critical questions below.

Sound good?

Let’s start with understanding your reader.

1. Who is your one fan?

You might be aiming to gain 100, 1,000, or even 10,000 blog readers.

But when you think about large numbers of readers, you turn people into a faceless crowd. And when you write for a faceless crowd, your writing becomes colorless, drab, and boring.

Do you think Stephen King focuses on millions of readers when writing his bestsellers?

In his book On Writing, King tells us he writes for one reader only — his wife. When he writes, he doesn’t wonder whether his millions of fans will enjoy his new book. He wonders, “What will Tabitha think about this section?”

When you write for one reader, your blog instantly becomes more engaging, personal, and persuasive. You’ll get more comments and shares, which will help you generate ideas for new blog posts.

Do you know your one fan?

Can you imagine picking up the phone, sharing a joke, and asking her view on your latest blog post?
Your ideal reader, your one fan, can be an imaginary person, your favorite customer, or a composite of various people you know.

To visualize your one fan, go beyond demographics. Understand her dreams and struggles. Empathize with her, and inspire her.

If you’d like a little help with creating your fan’s profile, download a free form here (no opt-in required).

2. Why would your fan read your blog?

Your blog might help you achieve a number of goals — generate more traffic to your website, raise your profile, boost your authority, gain more clients, etc.

But have you thought about what’s in it for your favorite fan?

Why would he read your blog?

Your blog reader isn’t interested in your company objectives or your personal aims. He doesn’t want to hear your promotional messages, your sales pitches, or even your company story.

He simply wants to know what’s in it for him. How can you take away his problems? How can you make him happier or more successful?

Here’s a quick exercise:

1. Don’t think about your objectives.
2. Quit worrying about business and sales.
3. Finish this sentence: My favorite fan reads my blog because I help him …

A few examples:

• As a marketing coach, you might want to help freelance writers find
  higher-paying clients.
• As a web developer, you could help small business marketers create websites that convert more web visitors into leads.
• As a premium social media app marketer, you could teach entrepreneurs how to network with influencers on Twitter.

Your blog purpose defines how you help your readers and keeps you focused on engaging and inspiring them.

That’s how your blog becomes a must-read resource in your niche.

3. Does each blog post help your fan?

Do you write for yourself or for your favorite fan?

To engage your readers and win business, you must write for your fans. You must write about the topics they crave.

Don’t wait until you have to write your next blog post to generate ideas. Spend 30 minutes this week brainstorming at least 30 ideas.

Here’s how you can generate 30 ideas in fewer than 30 minutes …

First, get away from your computer, and think about your favorite fan. Now, kickstart your brainstorming session with these questions, keeping in mind ways you can help:

• What are her dreams?
• What are her struggles?
• Which difficult decisions does she have to make?
• Which hot industry topics does she follow?
• Which mistakes does she make?
• Which buying decisions does she need to make?
• Which resources could educate her?
• What could experts teach her?
• What questions does she have?

Stop creating content for the sake of creating content.

Instead, create a business blog for your readers.

Inquiries will flood your inbox once your authority grows.

4. Can your fans find you?

As a Copyblogger reader, you know about content marketing. You know you need to create quality content and promote it.

But this is where many of us get stuck.

Promoting content feels like a giant time-suck — an endless list of must-dos that you’re never able to complete.

How can you promote your content without going crazy? Let’s add some sanity to your content distribution plan:

How can you make time for guest blogging?
Guest blogging is the quickest way to boost your authority, gain valuable links, and increase email subscribers. If you struggle to find time for guest blogging, consider reducing your publishing schedule. Write a guest post one week and a post for your own blog the next week.

Which social media channels do you currently enjoy the most?
Be active on the platforms where your fans hang out and where you enjoy hanging out. When you enjoy yourself, you gain a wider audience and create more engagement. To start, choose two or three channels.

How well-established is your site?
Driving SEO traffic to a totally new site isn’t easy. If your blog is new, and you don’t know much about SEO yet, focus on other traffic-generating activities first. You can plan for future traffic with some smart SEO fundamentals, but don’t expect SEO traffic to be significant in the early stages.

Can new fans find your blog?
A blog without a promotional strategy is like a restaurant that’s not listed on a map. The establishment lacks diners because nobody knows how to get there. Guide readers to your blog with simple tactics, and don’t spread yourself too thin.

5. Do you build long-term relationships?

It’s easy to forget that people buy from people. The concept is a cliché, but it’s true.
Before people will hire you or buy your products, you need to build relationships:

• Invite them to your email list with an ethical “bribe.”
• Include opt-in forms on your Home page, About page, sidebar, and below each blog post.
• Allow readers to get to know you by infusing your writing with personality.
• Be insanely helpful with a strong dose of empathy for your readers’ struggles and a large dollop of inspiration and pep talks.
• Turn up regularly — whether your schedule is weekly, daily, or monthly, ensure your readers know what to expect, and be there.
• Take advantage of your honeymoon period — use an autoresponder series to build a stronger relationship with new subscribers.

To turn your readers into avid fans and loyal buyers, be a good friend. Don’t treat them like numbers.

Here’s what to do next

Ready to generate some serious business with your blog?
Follow these steps:

1. Over the next five days, block 30 minutes for reviewing your blog.
2. On day one, create a profile of your favorite fan.
3. On day two, write down your blog purpose and discover why your fans come to your blog.
4. On day three, think about your favorite fan and write down at least 30 blog topics that he’d love to read.
5. On day four, review your blog promotion strategy. How can you reach more people in the time available to you? Which activities can you cut? How can you experiment?
6. On day five, consider your email strategy. How can you build a closer relationship with the fans on your list?

The simple truth about your business blog

Of course you’d love to get more clicks, shares, and comments. But the truth is, these factors don’t matter.

Authentic engagement with the people who might want to buy from you is what matters.

Develop relationships with your readers. Put them first.

That’s how you win more business.

Your opportunity to seduce

Does your blog strategy keep readers engaged with your writing and serve their needs?
How does your content help readers know, like, and trust you?
Let’s discuss turning your audience into buyers over on Google+!

About the Author: Henneke Duistermaat is an irreverent copywriter and marketer. She's on a mission to stamp out gobbledygook and to make boring business blogs sparkle. Get her free 16-Part Snackable Writing Course for Busy People and learn how to enchant your readers and win more business.See more

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