This is quite a transition, although it is important to note that capitalising on this evolution requires a carefully conceived and well executed social media plan. There are three key points to such a strategy, and it is imperative that you pay attention to each if you are able to reach out to potential customers and build lasting relationships.
Strategy, Execution and Metrics: Formulating your Social Media Plan
With this in mind, let’s consider the key points of strategy, execution and metrics and how they can be applied to create an ultimately successful campaign: –
Strategy
More than just a business buzzword, your strategy as a social media manager will help to determine which sites you target and how you propose to engage customers. Each social media outlet promotes alternative types of content, whether it’s a gaming brand pushing out offers for you to play blackjack online, or a restaurant with great incentives to visit, you must identify which are more suited to your brand before creating a viable and integrated profile. This will help you to target motivated consumers that want to be engaged with your brand, while also optimising the value that you receive from any initial, up-front investment.
Execution
While strategy and planning are important aspects of creating a winning social media campaign, they ultimately mean nothing if they cannot be translated into actionable steps. It is therefore crucial that you execute your carefully laid plans well, using social conversations, real-time question and answer sessions and high quality content to actively engage followers and inform them accordingly. Brands that lead the way on social media tend to be innovative and revered as thought leaders in their specific industry, as they are look to communicate with customers on a daily basis and use a diversity of content and techniques to cultivate relationships.
Metrics
On a similar note, it is also important that you are able to determine whether or not your social media efforts have been successful. This will help you to budget more appropriately in the future, whether you need to invest more in successful campaigns or restructure the way in which capital is spent. To achieve this, however, you need to move beyond likes and followers and determine whether or not customers have been engaged and if so how. Hosting subscription based challenges or contests through social media is an excellent way of achieving this, as it offers an insight into what percentage of your followers are willing to commit to the brand on a deeper level.
