Having a social media strategy from day one of your business is key to success. A social media strategy is how you are going to use social media to get your message out to your audience and engage, support, and magnify your brand to your users in their daily lives. This means, not only on their laptop or desktop, but how they see your brand via their mobile devices. The majority of adults use social media everyday. And because of that fact, it is more important than ever to understand how to succeed using social media. 

 

So how do you build a brand online? How do you build a devoted following? It starts with consistency. Post content, share content and engage with your audience on a consistent basis. (Tweet this!) Be your genuine authentic self and speak to individuals. You can use the @ symbol to directly speak to people on Twitter, FB, Instagram etc. Use this symbol and start to create meaningful relationships. I am amazed at how many beautiful friendships and business relationship I have created online. Follow people and engage with people. It really is a lot of fun.

 

The next thing I want you to focus on is adding immense value. Give more than you think you should. Try and add value everyday and never fear that you are giving away too much. Provide value in everything you do, and it will come back to you ten fold. (Tweet this!)   Remember, when writing, don’t talk over your audience. Explain everything in simplistic terms and help them understand. If you use an acronym, don’t forget to explain it. Not everyone knows and comprehends all the ins and outs of your specific area of expertise. Be present and mindful. This will help you go far.

1. Engage with your audience in an authentic way. I can’t say this enough. Don’t put on airs, be exactly who YOU are.
2. Create content that will resonate instantly with your audience and answer their burning issues. Get into their minds and really answer their questions.
3. Listen to your audience. Truly listen to what they are saying and make sure you respond to their specific needs that come up.
4. Know what your goal for your social media strategy is before you begin writing anything. You can change this up by month or by quarter. It might be that your goal is to focus on awareness of who you are, what your brand is all about, and of course your products. Another time it might be more focused on selling a particular product that you are launching. Be clear on what your ultimate goal is, and everything else will fall into place. Clarity is key.
5. Curate content. What does this mean? Basically, share a variety of useful content from other sources. Yes you are a key component and writing your own content is vital to growing your audience, but don’t be afraid to share other people’s content that will resonate with your audience. They will appreciate it. 
6. Utilize the power of the hashtag. Hashtags are like google keywords but within Twitter, Instagram and FB etc. Don’t be afraid to check this out and utilize the hashtag in your posts. You can search by hashtags on each of these social media platforms as well to learn more about them
7. When starting out with your social media strategy start with 1-2 sites initially. And get them working like a well oiled machine before adding any other platforms. You might hear some people say that everybody is using Twitter, and think to yourself that you too need to be on Twitter. But if your ideal customer isn’t on Twitter, than there is no point to be on there right? Think before you leap.
8. Don’t be afraid to share your personal life with your audience. People want to get to know the person behind the business and that may mean sharing fun pics of you with your family, or you without your makeup on. It’s all good and your audience will appreciate it.
9. Create a content calendar for at least a month out. And focus on what your goal for that month is going to be. How often will you post on the different social media platforms? What will you post/share? How will you inspire? What will you offer/sell? You can’t grow your business unless you provide an offer or let your ideal customer know how you can serve them. And remember that everything you post this month should somehow tie back to your goal for that month.
10. Utilize imagery within your social media posts. Adding visuals to your FB or Twitter posts can get more eyes and engagement on your content. We all love to see beautiful pictures so make sure you take the time and find beautiful pics to go along with your posts.
11. Analyze what is working and do more of that. It is so important to review what is attracting your ideal client and to do more of that. If you are running a Facebook campaign and you are seeing certain ads doing better than others, then review your analytics and figure out why and do more of that.
12. Network with other like minded people and don’t feel slimey about asking someone to jump on Skype to have a chat. Joint ventures and great partnerships have to start somewhere.
13. Don’t be afraid to ask for the sale. I read somewhere recently that we should view selling like love. Think about it. We are offering our services or products because we want to improve the lives of others. So, why are we afraid to tell someone about our services or products when we know they will only help others out. So, next time you think should I suggest my program, think no more and just do it with love.
14. Be consistent. I see so many people who get going and end up stopping within a week because life gets in the way. Utilize tools like Hootsuite or MeetEdgar or Buffer and get your social media posts scheduled ahead of time. This doesn’t mean you don’t still engage with your posts and your audience, but it means you can make sure your posts are ready to go even if you have to run out and pick up your kids because they got sick. In the long run, leveraging a scheduler will save you time and keep you consistent.
15. Know your business, know your audience, know your goals for social media and figure out what success will look like. And keep pushing the bar. Strive for more.
16. Take enjoyment in utilizing social media. It is a fun tool and a great way to grow your following and build relationships with your ideal customers. That is what it is all about. Fun

Now share below what tips you have used for building a strong Social Media strategy. And if you have any questions about anything I covered please don’t hesitate to email me at info@brigidward.com.

xo Brigid