In order to establish a social media strategy that will have an impact on your brand, products or services, several key steps will have to be taken to organize your thinking.
1 - Set clear and measurable objectives
Like your other digital projects, such as launching a website, you will need to set objectives for your use of social networks that are consistent with those of your company.
Most of the time, there will be issues such as:
- Increase visibility on my products and services;
- Sell my products and/or services;
- Increase my brand awareness;
- Acquire new customers;
- Improve customer experience and customer relations.
- We advise you to always set realistic, measurable and time-bound objectives in order to refine your strategy later on.
2 - Identify your targets
This step is simple for some and sometimes much more complicated for others! Indeed, it depends largely on your business strategy.
When you want to address a specific audience or community on a social network, it is important that you are able to identify your target (or targets). Your contents will be thought out and designed for it.
For example, if your business is in construction engineering, you will want to reach a population of decision-makers or purchasing managers from large real estate groups, or even directly from individuals. Your communication on social networks will therefore depend on this target and will have to adapt to it: what are they looking for on social networks? what do they expect from your company? What are your competitors doing with the same targets, and do they do it well?
3 - Select the appropriate social networks
This phase is of course dependent on the 2 previous steps.
Indeed, it is according to your objectives and your target that you will choose the appropriate social network(s). Here are some examples of use:
- Facebook: the community social network par excellence that has become a full-fledged media platform in recent years. Users expect ever more engaging content with a tone that cultivates proximity.
- Twitter: An essential information and conversation platform. The tone is often very committed on the platform and can for example allow you to develop your customer relationship strategy.
- LinkedIn: If you want to develop your recruitment strategy, create content around your expertise or develop your network of partners, this is the social network you should focus on.
- Instagram: Since its launch in 2010, Instagram has become a must for sharing "arty" visuals and photos. It is THE social network par excellence for fashion and luxury brands.
4 - Establish a clear editorial line
The creation of an editorial line is a major element of your strategy on social networks.
It will make it possible to organize your communication on social networks around themes that reflect your objectives and targets, and to define upstream the type of content you will focus on in order to get your messages across: photos, videos, texts...
5 - Creation of the editorial calendar
Now that your objectives, target audience, social media platforms and editorial line have been carefully defined, you will be able to create your editorial calendar.
This calendar will allow you to plan your content from one month to the next or according to your own organization. It will therefore define the frequency of your editorial content, whether it is visual or video texts.
To go further on social networks, we also recommend that you adapt your visual identity to your content on different social platforms.
6 - Community Management and moderation
This is the operational part that allows you to develop your strategy. Your Community Manager(s) should be able to publish all the content developed in the calendar and be the direct interface with your customers within the online communities. The role of the Community Manager is therefore to speak up for your brand and moderate online discussions: it is therefore a strategic human resource for your company!
You are now better equipped to launch yourself on social networks!
Naes Consulting supports its clients every day in their Social Media strategy, in particular by providing them with qualified Community Managers.