The name of the game when it comes to business is strategy. We have business plans and profit projections. We create timelines for new projects, some of us even have editorial calendars. So why is it that when it comes to social media so many of us throw ourselves out there without even so much as a basic idea of what we want?
Creating a plan of action saves us from wasting our time, wasting our money, and wasting our resources.
I promise you that it's easier than you think. A common reason people avoid creating this strategy is they honestly just don't know where to start. Somewhere along the way they attended an event or a webinar and some "expert" said they NEEDED to be on social media RIGHT NOW! So they did.
I agree with the "expert" that social media is KEY to marketing your business no matter what that business is, however if you're not doing it well, you're just working against yourself. There is no reason to make life harder. As entrepreneurs, we have enough stuff to deal with. Let's make it easier for ourselves!
Strategy is just a matter of answering 3 questions and putting 3 simple pieces together. Today I'm sharing what those pieces are.
1. Who is your ideal client?
This is the FIRST thing you need to consider because without this it's impossible for you to look at where you need to be and when you need to be there. Beyond that, it's also critical for how you are going to create content for your social networks. You've likely already created this ideal client because most of us do it when we launch a product or business. This is a good time to check in, though. It's easy to forget that just because we created an ideal client 2 years ago they may not actually be our ideal client today,
2. What are your goals?
Hold on - seriously don't say it! I know what you want to say. I know that because nearly EVERY client I've ever asked has said the same thing. Sales. This is not the right answer because it is way too vague. You want to narrow this down, think about the intention because this is where the call to action comes from. Your goal may be to drive clicks to a email list opt in. Or to drive excitement for an upcoming product release. Both of those intentions will lead to sales but the goal we set is a lot more specific than just saying sales.
3. How will you run this?
This is KEY. Is this something you want to run 100% yourself or are you ready to outsource some of it? This will lead to other decisions, of course, like finding the right person - maybe it is even someone on your current team. Just make sure whoever it is knows your brand - that is as critical as them knowing what they are doing when it comes to social media. They are going to be your public representation of your brand. Once you have that in place, figure out logistically how you want to work. Will you create a schedule of updates weekly or monthly? Don't forget to create a space where you are maintaining a record of important stats. Those numbers are critical to seeing what works and doesn't work for you in the future.