Before you scan the title and decide you might not want to read another post on social media, think strategy, not specifics.
Nearly every time I see a request on the AssistU Registry of prospective clients looking for virtual assistants, they list "need help with social media". It is taking up too much of their time and energy. Or maybe they don't even have accounts set up.
If they have accounts set up, they lie dormant. Whatever... they need help. This request is not a "by the way" or "if possible" part of the list either, it is usually at the top.
Planning Your Strategy
Social media marketing has become a staple of our marketing strategy. So I found myself wondering why so many business owners and entrepreneurs find it so overwhelming. The answer is simple. No strategy. You need a plan. There are 3 major steps to a social media strategy:
- Write it.
- Implement it.
- Manage it.
Within each of those you have a series of steps or processes. It might sound tedious. But it isn't. If you have it already under control, you likely do it without thinking of it in those terms.
For the purposes of this post, I am going to give you a suggested outline just for No. 1, writing a social media strategy. I have used it more than once with different clients, different businesses.
The inner layers of the outline will vary depending on your own specific requirements. However, I have found by starting here, I can usually build almost any client's plan.
Your Social Media Strategy
I. Goals
- What are do you want to accomplish? The answer to this question will determine which social media sites will work best for you, as well as what you share and how often.
- You should have at least 3, but no more than 6.
II. Determine Your Target Audience
- This is easy. You probably already know this from your marketing plan, if you have one.
- Join appropriate social media sites/services where your target audience is likely to be found. Be specific, to start.
III. Develop a Participation Plan
- Plan how/when you will participate for each site or type of service; example micro blogs, such as Twitter and networking sites such as LinkedIn.
- Develop a blog content strategy
- This is key -- your blog is the flagship of your social media strategy. Your entire strategy will rely upon it.
This is a general outline to get you started thinking about how to manage your social media. Within each step there are some details. Like anything else, it takes some time to set it up. But once in place, you can move effortlessly to the next step, implementation.
Implementing Your Plan
The implementation phase will be just a matter following the plan. After a couple times, you will find yourself doing it automatically, taking less time each you go through it.
As your business grows and changes, so will the plan. That means you will have to manage it, periodically tweaking and making adjustments.
Social media has become a large part of how we connect with our customers and clients. It's why so many businesses owners seek help. Whether you do it yourself or use in-house or virtual support, it can't be neglected. Not anymore.
Source by Yvonne C Thompson
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