Social Media Strategy Basics
Lately, I’ve been consulting with several clients about their social media strategy.
Though the strategy each business uses will be unique, some basic tenets remain constant. Whether you’re a guru at social media marketing or just getting started, remembering the basics can help strengthen the foundation of your campaigns.
Social media marketing strategy
Though the social media landscape is constantly changing, it is a great place to market your business if you want to gain exposure for your product or service. It is not, however, the best advertising channel to make instant sales. Social media marketing is a long-term game. Even starting a new business can take 6 months or more to gain significant traction. Patience and consistency are key.
Post with intention
One common pitfall people make is to post random items without much forethought—this makes it appear as if you are figuring out your strategy in real time. Instead, spend a few hours developing a posting strategy. Will you post photos, videos, or snippets of text? How will your feed be designed? Do you need the skills of a graphic designer? How can you speak in the voice of your audience? What’s working for your competitors? These are excellent questions to brainstorm with your staff or team.
Remember that social media is a ‘soft sell.’ People will tire quickly if you only post advertisements, fliers, or sales-related information. Instead, post beneficial information that increases your brand awareness. Make your posts: relaxing, inspiring, engaging, trendy, funny, creative, informative, and filled with storytelling. Get personal. Be silly. Express your values creatively.
Showcasing the people and personalities behind the scenes is one great way to make your posts relatable. And since video is more popular than ever, creating compelling video content can quickly raise your likes and follower count.
Who will post?
Consider assigning posting duties to one individual. This will help to keep your account’s voice and design consistent. Hire a graphic designer if you aren’t skilled, because great design is a sure-fire way to heighten your brand.
When to post?
Every business will be unique in this sense, but in general you should aim to post three times per week. But, say you are a craft market vendor who sells at multiple markets per week—it might make sense to post more often, even daily.
The more artistic or image based your business is—i.e., the more beautiful your photography and video is—the more you should post. Are you selling scrumptious-looking food? Creating colorful paintings? Taking relaxing nature photography? These are all examples of posts that people won’t tire from easily.
Most importantly, stay consistent. Develop a post schedule, for example M/W/F mornings, and stick with it.
Other general tips
Use Professional Accounts when you have the option. This will give you access to statistics and audience insights.
Instagram can automatically copy your posts to Facebook, saving you precious time.
Consider Boosting (making a paid ad out of) your most popular posts and reels.
Always use keywords (search terms) in your bio, hashtags, and captions.
Always tag your location.
Strive to keep visual consistency on your Instagram post grid.
·To gain followers, search for and like posts by others by using Instagram’s Explore feature.
What about hashtags?
Hashtags help your posts, reels, and stories to reach audiences outside of your network. Think of them as SEO for social media.
Use Instagram’s Explore feature to discover new hashtags.
Study your competitors to see what hashtags they are using.
Use niche hashtags to target audiences. For example: #music is too broad of a term, with 400,000,000 posts associated with it (that number is not an exaggeration). Your message will get lost in the crowd. #neworleansjazz is more specific, with 75,000 posts. Narrow down your hashtags this way to strategically deliver your message.
I would love to hear what is/isn’t working for your business. Send your tips my way, and I may feature them in a future newsletter.
Happy Designing!
Jon
Are you an entrepreneur, writer, musician, teacher, or business owner struggling to make your self-designed pieces shine? Do you lack formal design training, but must work with programs like Canva, Squarespace, WordPress, or Adobe as part of your job?
In this one-hour online workshop taught by working professional graphic designer Jon Hébert, you’ll learn how to apply graphic design concepts to make your pieces stand out in the crowd.
About Jon Hébert
I’m a former newspaper editor, radio DJ, art director, and rock n’ roll front man who ventured into graphic design as a hobby. After receiving my art and design degree from LSU, I worked at several marketing firms before opening Jon Hébert Creative in 2003. I’ve since helped hundreds of clients with their graphic design, digital strategy, storytelling, and more. I’m also a musician and writer.
