Surviving and Thriving on Social Media
Why do I need a social media strategy?
What should I think about when I post?
How can I define my voice?
Using social media to market your business seems pretty straightforward. You just post, get the word out, and wait for new customers.
But there’s actually a lot more to it. Every single one of your posts should be part of a larger social media strategy. For example, let’s say there’s a new restaurant called Pete’s Paleo Pizza that sells gluten-free, dairy-free pizza.
Pete just set up some social media accounts to market his pizza and is eager to start posting and gaining new followers. But how can he make sure he’s actually helping his business when he posts?
Doing social media right is like hosting a successful dinner party. It’s your job to keep the chatter flowing and fun, while also creating a welcoming atmosphere.
Being a party host takes a solid plan, an open mind, and close attention to the wants and needs of your guests. The same goes for running an effective social media account.
The 4 things you should pay attention to while doing social media are voice, content, timing, and conversation. Let’s explore all of them in more detail.
You should shape your voice and presence around your audience. To do this, you should get to know them.
What are their interests? Where do they live? What do they do? What places (or other social media sites) do they visit?
If you forget everything else, remember this: If you know your audience, you can find your voice. If you find your voice, you can reach your audience.
Think of your content as the furniture in your house. It should represent your taste, generate conversation, and keep a consistent style throughout.
Your content should also make people feel comfortable. Social media is all about getting your audience to communicate with you and feel good in your presence.
That means: Don’t use social media solely as a place to sell yourself or your product. Use it to tell your story, connect with your audience, and portray a feeling.
Take your audience behind the scenes of your business, share news and events, and post how-to’s and photos. Ask people for their opinions and acknowledge holidays, birthdays, and special occasions. All of this can help build customer loyalty.
There’s a fine line between engaging your audience and overloading them. That’s why timing is so important in social media.
Posting off-schedule or twice in a row is fine sometimes, but just make sure to keep a good balance (AKA cadence). Don’t bombard your audience with content, but don’t go silent, either.
1 or 2 posts per platform each day should do it – at hours when your audience is most active, of course. For Pete, this might be in the morning, after his Paleos’ daily run, and at lunchtime, while they’re eating kale at their desks.
Finally, remember that the conversation isn’t all about you. Get to know your audience – they’re your focus group. Ask questions. Start discussions. Respond.
Feel free to give a little push with a call to action. This is a fancy term for telling your audience to do something… like asking them to submit relevant photos and stories or sending them to your website when you’re having a sale.
Yes, we used the “S” word. It’s okay to drive sales through your social media sometimes. But in order to do that, you’ve got to entertain your customers, too.
TIP
The best thing about social media is that it lets you interact with almost anyone directly. Bloggers, experts, even celebrities are at your fingertips. Reach out to them to increase your presence. And when one of them writes about you, be sure to reshare their post and tag them.
Let’s see how General Electric (GE) used social media to transform their business.
GE used social media to change their brand from one that only meant “appliances” to one that brings innovation and technology to mind.
First, they defined their target audience: forward-thinking, innovative, and interested in health, transportation, and the infrastructure of their cities. To reach this audience, GE developed a playful yet educational voice.
For posts, GE used eye-catching images, videos, links, and questions. For example, they would share photos of their scientists working on robots, which showed both the technical and human sides of the company.
GE’s content also always hits one of these topics: end benefits (how GE’s products have helped build a better world), the employees at GE, and success stories of how GE’s innovation has touched people’s lives.
By using a strong, consistent voice and by making their social media not solely about their products, GE’s content became the center of a new global conversation.
DO THIS NOW
Now that you’ve learned what goes into a social media presence, you can start defining your voice.
If you’re participating in the course, go to the next section to access your self assessment.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
To know your voice, you must first know you're audience.
Keep a consistent tone to build connection with your audience.
Voice, content, timing, and community are the building blocks of a social media strategy.