November 10, 2015

It’s no surprise that social media is an essential part of any organization. As more organizations are using numerous social channels and becoming engaged, it is important to make sure you are getting the full effect out of your social media marketing by posting relevant content, creating a relationship with your followers, and implementing an overall social media strategy.

What is a social media strategy?

A social media strategy is a list of goals and aspirations that your organization would like to complete over a given period. By creating a social media approach, your organization will be able to ensure your marketing and communications efforts are effective and well-organized.

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Follow five effective tips to ensure your organization is implementing a productive social media strategy.

1. Choose your social channels and establish your brand's identity

First, it is important to choose your social media channels. There are numerous networks your organization can use such as Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, etc. You can use one network or five depending on the audience you are looking to target. After choosing your channels, it is crucial to make sure each of your profiles display your organization's mission, logo, and website. You want your audience to understand your organization and what it is all about.


2. Establishing goals and objectives

After you have created your accounts and established your brand's identity, it is vital to discover goals and objectives that your business would like to achieve over a specific period. Link these goals to your overall marketing plan as well. You want to make sure your channels are promoting the right information and highlighting your organization as a whole.

Keep your goals reliable, measurable, and attainable. Your strategy will not be effective if your key objectives are out of reach and unreasonable for your organization to complete.

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3. Pick a posting strategy

Picking a posting strategy is different for everyone. There is no set rule on how many times a day you should post. The key take-away is to remember to create compelling content, post at an effective time, and be seen as a knowledge source for your audience. However, when posting on Facebook, refrain from posting more than three times per day. Too many messages can detract from your engagement.

 

4. Analyze and test your results

By analyzing your results, your organization will be able to figure out which objectives are successful and which are not. It is necessary to conduct metrics and adjust your strategy based on the results. Social media is all about testing to see how your audience is going to respond. Remember to listen to your audience, they are the key resource to becoming successful on social media.

 

5. Engage! Engage! Engage!

Lastly, make sure to engage with your followers. Engaging and forming a relationship is critical to producing effective and reliable results. By humanizing your channels and creating a voice for your target audience, your organization will be able to keep your followers coming back for more. Your followers will look at your organization as a trusted dependable source.

Now it is time to get started with your social media strategy by implementing these five effective and appealing tips!