Social media has now permeated every area of daily life. Businesses who ignore this risk getting left in the dust. Whether launching a new initiative or improving an existing presence, there are five core keys to success:
1. Assess the landscape
Dig into what your competition is doing. Where have they succeeded and failed? Where can you differentiate? These insights can be very useful in informing your strategy.
2. Know your audience
Who you want to get in front of should direct the channels you deploy. Do your research and be where your people are! When in doubt, ask your existing customers and get their feedback.
3. Be strategic… but realistic
Alignment on what success looks like before you launch is critical. This is different for every business.
Determine what it takes to execute, including design, copywriting, scheduling, reporting, ad management and more. A poorly executed program is often worse than none at all, so keep it manageable! If you’re stretched thin, tools like Hootsuite, Sprout Social and Buffer can help extend limited resources with automation.
4. Banish the boring
A core strength of social is the ability to humanize the brand and foster emotional connections.
Don’t settle for boring. If you’re in a “boring” industry, you actually have an advantage. Your competition likely feels the same way and doesn’t invest in social, making it affordable to compete and carve out a niche. That’s an opportunity businesses in “sexy” industries envy!
5. Constantly report and refine
There is no magic formula that will work with every company and platform. After execution, it’s time to start measuring, getting insights and processing accordingly to refine your strategy.
Social media is here to stay – and done right, it can have a transformative effect on your business with a measurable impact on your bottom line.
-Sarah Kloth is social media product manager at New Berlin-based Top Floor.
