7 Vital Steps To Create A Social Media Campaign Strategy That Works
Do you want to know the vital steps to create a social media campaign strategy that works?
You see, the online space is so vast that, if you don’t know what you’re doing, you’ll more likely to get lost in the ocean.
That’s not to sound negative. However, there are certain pathways and structures you need to put in place that will give direction to your entire social media marketing campaign.
Not putting this framework in place before embarking on your campaign can bring disappointing results, like poor sales.
You may have the best product or service and even a fantastic team, but low sales can crush your morale. With dwindling revenue, even managing your workforce becomes a challenge.
It’s therefore wise to ensure you consider all the variables before launching your marketing campaign so that you can see positive results. Results bring encouragement, and business growth comes in sight.
To get such results, you need to know where to market, how to relate with your audience, and how to pull them into your sales funnel. Otherwise, it may all be a waste of time. So, here are steps to create a social media campaign strategy that works.
1. Know the personality of your customer
Many business owners rush into marketing without taking a critical look into their buyer persona.
Of course, you may think you know who your customer is, but chances are you only have a vague idea. You need to ask yourself questions like, “What are my customer’s interests? Why would they want my product/service? What daily challenges do they face? Would this person bring substantial revenue to my business if they convert?
Although these details may seem superficial, they help you dig deep into your customer’s personality, and only then can you hit them where it’s felt the most.
Without in-depth knowledge of who your target audience is, you might only be throwing darts in the dark. You may eventually hit the target, but not without wasting valuable time and resources.
2. Know your USP
Your unique selling point (USP) or unique selling proposition is what makes your product a competitive edge over your competitors. It’s what persuades your target audience to leave their former provider/supplier and choose you instead.
If your product/service is unprecedented, you don’t need to worry about this as long as it solves a unique problem. But chances are you’re going into an industry where there are already big players. So how do you stand out?
Is it your cheaper rate? Is it the durability? Or, perhaps, it’s the higher sophistication, ease of use, or visual appeal. That is your USP.
Determining what makes your product/service better will make your marketing ideas easier as you wouldn’t try too hard to convince people to test your product. When your USP is clear, customers will WANT to check it out as it makes life easier than before.
3. Know where to find your audience
Where is your target customer likely to be? Is it on Facebook or Twitter? Is it by night or midday? Is your customer within your geographical area, or can anybody from any continent contact you?
Before embarking on your digital marketing campaign, you need to ensure you’re targeting your content and sales pitches directly. If your customers are within a specified geographical area, it’s best to do location based marketing.
Not doing so is like throwing your darts randomly, unsure where the target is. Someone in Australia may find and click your ad but bounce off because you’re in New York, so they can’t order for your plumbing service.
4. Have a budget limit
You probably don’t want to go all-in with your cash without having a solid plan for your social media campaign. Know how much funds, time, and workforce are at your disposal.
Perhaps you want to go into paid ads. It wouldn’t be nice to run out of money or have cash flow problems midway into the project without having results.
You may get frustrated and consider giving up. So it’s advisable to weave your campaign around a fixed budget so you know how much you’re spending and when results – no matter how minimal – should be expected.
5. Figure out what strategy works best for your business
Digital marketing is broad. There’s blogging, email marketing, social media, pay-per-click, influencer marketing, hiring SEO experts, and lots more.
The truth is, you may not be able to leverage all the platforms when starting out. In short, it’s advisable to select a handful that best suits your product/service, budget, and target audience.
While influencer marketing may bring quick brand awareness, it may be costly, and it typically doesn’t suit some services, such as professional ones. SEO content marketing and PPC may work best for such services.
Every marketing method has its strengths and weaknesses, so you have to determine which is the best for your brand and budget.
6. Know how to engage your prospects
Now, this follows from the first tip: know your customer. Understanding their personality will help you hit their sweet spots. For example, the lingua used for a teenager who needs a new interactive game should be different from a company executive manager looking for accounting software.
A buyer persona helps tailor your copy to hook your customer. But after that, you need to engage them to make them stay in your sales funnel. While one target audience may require compassionate communication, others need a solid formal message that shows you’re a pro in your given niche.
Whether you’re conversing in a conversational style or B2B tone, engage your prospects with what they can relate with at each stage of the marketing funnel.
7. Nurture leads more than you seek new customers
It is important to note that engaging an existing customer base is more cost-effective than marketing to a new audience. Buyer acquisition takes time and money.
So, when you successfully get leads, nurture them consistently through your sales funnel rather than focusing all your time on someone who doesn’t yet know about your product. You may end up losing both individuals.
Furthermore, leverage your existing relationships with customers and up-sell to them. They already have a feel of your product or service; they now trust you, so use that to your advantage.
Bottom line
In whatever you do, having a practical plan gives you a sense of direction and purpose. You know what to do and the right turn to make each step of the way.
By determining the above variables, you’ll have a marketing campaign that reaches the right audience, and that’s better than launching too quickly in order to meet deadlines.
