{"id":24834,"date":"2021-09-14T09:00:06","date_gmt":"2021-09-14T16:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/defineddigital.com\/?p=24834"},"modified":"2023-03-29T08:33:46","modified_gmt":"2023-03-29T15:33:46","slug":"social-media-strategy-8-steps-to-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/defineddigital.com\/social-media-strategy-8-steps-to-success\/","title":{"rendered":"Social Media Strategy: 8 Steps to Success"},"content":{"rendered":"

With 3.96 billion social media users<\/a>, we can safely say that it is almost impossible for businesses to ignore the impact of social media. Customers want to connect with their favorite brands through social media channels.<\/p>\n

Research reveals that 89% of consumers are more likely to buy from a brand they follow on social media<\/a>. It is no wonder over 70% of small businesses use social media to promote their business.<\/p>\n

Social media is an effective platform for small businesses to connect with customers and prospects, earn a good reputation, and grow their business. However, to succeed on social media, you need a social media strategy.<\/p>\n

A social media strategy is a plan that summarizes all you want to accomplish on social media. It outlines your goals, target audience, chosen social media platforms, type of content, when and how many times you intend to post, and how you intend to measure results.<\/p>\n

It gives you a blueprint on how to make your brand successful through social media. Without a strategy, you won’t achieve sustained success even if you have good intentions.<\/p>\n

So how do you create one? This article will guide you through 8 solid steps to create an effective social media strategy for your business.<\/p>\n

1. Set SMART goals<\/h2>\n

Identifying your goals is the first step to achieving success with your social media strategy. What business goals do you want to accomplish on social media?<\/p>\n

Make sure those goals are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-based) goals. For example, if you want brand awareness for your business, you might want to set metrics that will help you measure that. It could be the number of followers or social shares.<\/p>\n

2. Conduct a social media audit<\/h2>\n

If you have an existing social media account, this is an important step to take. A social media audit identifies strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities on a social media page. With this, you can know what is working and what is not on your page. It could be what type of content is more engaging, or how many likes and shares you get in a month. This valuable data will help you improve your social media strategy.<\/p>\n

3. Know your target audience<\/h2>\n

Knowing your target audience is essential if you want to create an effective social media strategy. It determines what kind of content you post and on what social media channel to meet them. For example, if your target is an older age group of around 50-65 years, you are more likely to find them on Facebook and not on TikTok or Snapchat. So, you are less likely to get results if you channel your marketing efforts to TikTok or Snapchat.<\/p>\n

Here are a few questions to help you identify your target audience:<\/p>\n