4 tips for social media success
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Do you know what the terms SEO, keywords, bid strategy, and conversion rates mean and why they matter for your small business? Marketing in the digital age is nothing short of complex. Still trying to figure out where to start? No fear—Startup Alleghenies is here to help. Be on the lookout for expert articles featuring key takeaways from the 90–120-minute Bootcamp sessions. Check out Startup Alleghenies for the full videos.
“You have to have a content strategy to be successful in social media,” Digital Marketing expert George Potts said.
Have a content and platform strategy
Think about your business like a magazine. Meaning you should have a publishing mission and content pillars. Everything you post should complement your business. Most of your content can be curated by other creators but should always add value for your audience. Each pillar should have a purpose and your topic ideas under that purpose.
Here are some examples from a kitchen and bath company:
Pillars:
- Services
- Purpose: Raise awareness for the services we offer and highlight the value we provide
- Topics: kitchen and bath remodeling, interior design, project management
- Education
- Purpose: Share information that will help the audience plan their renovation
- Topics: financing, budgeting, design insights
- Stories
- Purpose: Showcase experience and quality
- Topics: project gallery, curated stories, testimonials
- People
- Purpose: Introduce the team personalities and experience
- Topics: Owners, staff, designers, installers
- Inspiration
- Purpose: Inspire homeowners with visuals of ideas
- Topics: colors, materials trends, appliance trends/new technology, lighting
Strategy Placemat
This is a one-page view of your content strategy for social media. A placemat will allow you to visualize your overall strategy. Categories of the placemat should include:
- Brand mission
- Social opportunity
- Target audience
- Target’s social behaviors
- Targets’ expectation of brand
- Social channel mix
- Content pillars
Define your brand voice
One brand voice needs to be consistent across all your posts. The tone of your posts should be the same across all platforms but can have a different flavor. If multiple people create your content, you want them to get into character. It shouldn’t matter who is playing the part, everyone should know your brand by your brand voice.
Buyer’s personas
Who is your ideal client or customer? This is your buyer’s persona. Everyone who interacts with your content is at a different place in their journey. You need to market to the different personas. Identifying this information is vital for both paid ads and organic content.
When you implement these bite-sized chunks, you develop a solid content strategy to propel your social media presence. Check out Startup Alleghenies for the full video and check back over the next few weeks for more advice from this digital marketing guru.
Startup Alleghenies helps startup and emerging small businesses succeed by providing free coaching to entrepreneurs in Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Fulton, Huntingdon, and Somerset counties. To access personal, one-on-one support from a coach in your county, including guidance, resources, tools, and networking opportunities, sign up at startupalleghenies.com.
