It’s amazing how many businesses are on social media nowadays. Yet, many have no idea how to actually use social media to grow their business and build a powerful brand.

The problem is, most people skip important steps and simply start a social media account and post any content without a strategy in place.

To be successful in social media, you need a strategy. Here I share 5 important steps to use social media effectively.

1-      Define your target market (ideal clients)

If you have a business plan or  a marketing plan this question must have already been answered. If you don’t, this is a step that will help you with all your marketing communications.

Think about who you are trying to attract. Be very specific:

•         what is their age group
•          gender
•          level of education
•          income
•          geographic location
•          career
•          which media do they consume
•          which social platforms are they using
•          what are their pain points
•          what kind of problems they have and which solutions are they after

Go deep and profile your ideal customer the best you can. If you have been in business for a while, you can think about your own clients, especially those who fit perfectly in your ideal client profile. Use them to define your target market.

2-      Set your Goals

Why are you on social media in the first place? What are you trying to achieve?

Some examples of goals that can be achieved through social media are:

•           Raise awareness of your brand
•           Engage with your audience and build a relationship
•           Increase interest in your products
•           Showcase your expertise
•           Educate people about the benefits of working with you
•           Promote your products and special offers

3-      Select your Social Platforms

Two questions come to mind when selecting your platforms.

Which platforms should I be using? The answer to this question is really simple… the one(s) most used by your target market, and the one(s) that will best help you achieve your goals.

How many platforms should I be using? Just like everything in marketing, you want to do things properly and not half way there. So choose only a number of platforms that you can manage comfortably (consider your time and resources). I normally advise using one or two social platforms and manage them really well.

4-      Develop your content and schedule it in advance

If you know who you are talking to and what you are trying to achieve, it’s easy to create your content. Always consider your market’s needs and interests. Thinks about what will resonate with them.

Generally speaking, there are 3 types of content that do really well in social media: entertainment, educational and inspirational.

Be creative, and think about what your audience will enjoy seeing and will share with others. Here are some tips for your content:

•         Blog posts
•         Videos
•         Photos and images
•         Interesting articles from other people
•         Funny stuff
•         Competitions
•         How to, tips and tricks, independent reviews, behind the scenes, before and after.

Make a plan and schedule your content in advance, so you are not constantly stressed about what you are going to post. There are great tools out there for social media scheduling, here are some of them: Hootsuit, Facebook scheduler, Meet Edgar, CoSchedule, Social Oomph, or Buffer.

5-      Observe and Measure your Progress

Observe what gets more likes, shares and engagement and post more of that type of content. Also keep an eye on what isn’t working and stop doing it.

There are a number of measuring tools that you can use. Facebook insights provide useful information about your followers and you will be able to see which posts get more engagement.

Another fantastic tool is Google Analytics. Make sure you have it installed or ask your web developer to do it for you. If you are not used to Google Analytics you will need to learn how to use it, and it can feel a bit overwhelming due to the amount of information available. But it’s the most powerful tool to measure your online marketing progress.

If you find social media confusing and overwhelming or simply don’t have time to manage it yourself, I’m here to help you.  Schedule a FREE 30 minutes call with me so we can discuss your needs.