Posts tagged including social media in marketing

“Everybody says that my business needs to use social media, but I don’t know where to start…”

Setting goals should be the cornerstone of any marketing campaign.  Marketing goals help us to articulate why to use specific tools, who is the target market, and how to reach specific markets while promoting a message.  Social media should not take the place of traditional marketing campaigns, but should definitely be included as a piece of the greater puzzle.  For people new to social media, the first step of setting social media goals is asking questions; through appropriate questions you can develop campaigns to market your business and your message.

If you plan on developing a social media strategy, take a few minutes to articulate answers to the following questions:

Basic:

1. What message do I want to promote?
2. Who do I want to reach with my content?
3. What do I want to be known for/as?
4. How is the competition marketing (is it effective)?
5. How are clients and potential clients finding my business now?

Advanced:

1. What is my “brand awareness” right now?
2. How is my digital reputation (if it exists at all)?
3. What kind of services/tools does my specific audience use?
4. What do I have in common with my specific and targeted audience?
5. Is my brand/business currently being talked about? How so?

Hard:

1. What objectives are relative and pertinent to my marketing campaign?
2. What does success look like for your business (in 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year)?
3. What will I offer through social media to track and monitor my ROI?

Responses to the above questions, as well as similar questions, should affect how your company leverages social media.  New business owners, entrepreneurs, and more would be making a wise choice to critically assess their current situation as well as where they would like to be in specific time increments.  Be aware, however, that most “experts” agree that it takes 3-6 months (at least) to develop a strong online presence and begin seeing a return on the investment of time and energy.

Check this article out for more information about developing social media marketing goals (part 2)

Smeester & Associates offers diverse solutions for cultivating your business.  Social Media Marketing is only one way that we can assist in the development of businesses.  Contact us for more information.