Savvy Social Media: 3 Ways to Get Focused

As a business owner, you’re constantly peppered with information about social media trends, emerging platforms, new advertising options… you get the idea. Everyone has an opinion about the number of channels you should keep active, the type(s) of content you should push out through each, and the overarching strategy that is going to yield you ROI for your efforts. We take a different approach here at StringCan…

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Yes, we believe social media is relevant and powerful, and should be an avenue you consider seriously when working on a marketing plan to help your business grow. But we also want to simplify the beast of social media as much as we can, so you don’t have to have sweaty palms every time you hear the words “social strategy.” At this point, it almost seems like simplifying social media is an oxymoron, but we assure you it’s not. Here are the three main tips for you to follow if you want to be savvier about social and see it translate into business growth.

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Listen

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One of the most underused benefits of being present on social media is the wealth of information that merely listening provides. So many people and businesses use these platforms as versions of a megaphone, distributing their thoughts and news in the hopes that others will get excited and join in their mission or buy from them. But so much more can be accomplished when you instead listen. Get in the habit of spending 10 minutes a day conducting your own, informal social media “audit.”

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Think about what you want to improve in your social strategy… do you want a bigger following and more influence? Check out a tool like Klear to see how much influence your business has socially and how your competitors stack up in this area. If one of them is a clear leader (no pun intended), take a few minutes to review their content.

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If your main goal for social media is to produce more thoughtful and useful content for your followers, try something like Social Mention. You can search all formats of social content by keyword, and you can find out what topics are trending or see interesting angles or points of view that spur creativity in your own content.

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Above all, take time each day to see what your customers are saying about your industry, your products or services and your brand. That itself is worth a time investment above all else.

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Learn

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We get it… social media can be complex and hard to navigate. It often feels like you’re taking a stab in the dark and just winging the whole thing, without any way to know what will actually work. Or maybe you’re exhausting efforts into managing everything, hoping to yield something. The good news is that you don’t have to be an expert.

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And if you’re not ready to link up with someone who understands it all, you can still learn a good deal on your own. There are plenty of articles online and on our very own StringCan blog to help you successfully use social media to help achieve business growth. For example, check out one of our recent posts on Facebook Geo-Targeting. We always try to simplify things for you as much as we can, and empower you to incorporate the marketing strategies that will serve you best.

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Lean In

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Of course you want to put out content, and of course you need to listen to what customers and peers are saying, but you also should strive to actively interact through these channels. This social part of social media is often left ignored by brands!

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Consider that an Oracle report found 43% of social media users only interact with brands to get a direct response to a question or issue. You might have an awful lot of pretty imagery and inspiring quotes or stats filling your Twitter page, but there’s almost a one-in-two chance that a customer coming to your profile is only there because they have a question or concern. If you’re going to invest in a social media strategy and put time, effort, and resources into keeping one or more profiles active, then you also must make sure that someone is monitoring your accounts and able to quickly respond to customer questions and issues. If you can reply back, as instantly as possibly, to someone who has a pressing need, you’ve greatly increased the chances of keeping this person engaged with your brand.

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There are so many social media channels and tips out there, but most of them boil down to the three aspects we’ve covered here. If you can listen to what’s being said on social media (the relevant stuff from the people who matter to your brand), learn on your own and by seeking help from experts about the new platforms and strategies, and lean into conversations with customers asking for help, you will have a rock solid social foundation. And this certainly will help your business grow.

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If you would like any help with more social media tips, setting up geo-targeting that will best impact your business, or an overall Facebook strategy, please contact us!