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Social Media Marketing Foundations

by | Sep 19, 2023 | Social Media Marketing | 0 comments

Have you ever managed or created content for a social media page? Does it sound exciting for you? Is it something you want to do in the future? I am fortunate enough to have this work on a part-time basis and do a pro-bono work back in my home country for a start-up soccer academy.

The first thing that you need to keep in mind – be social! Social Media is a public channel where people interact with each other regardless if their account is for business, arts, nonprofit, or personal use. Below are some of the best practices that we should apply when managing a social media page.

Create a Social Media Strategy

Social Media is a key strategy in marketing nowadays. In order to be effective in your social media presence, it is vital that a social media strategy is established. Below are the fundamentals that marketers use in creating a social media strategy:

  • Identify goals. Regardless of which industry you belong to, align your social media goals with the organization. Make sure that these are also SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound). Below are examples of social media targets:
    • Increase the number of followers by 10% at the end of Quarter X
    • Increase the number of engagements by 10% at the end of Quarter X, or
    • Increase the number of Facebook ticket sales by 10% at the end of Quarter X
  • Map out specific steps to reach the results. Be organized and communicate your thought process with your team and stakeholders. It’s always good to collaborate.
  • Identify your audience and tone. I couldn’t emphasize how important this is. The tone and messaging of the soccer academy I used to manage is totally different from the page that I manage now. What’s important is you understand your audience and craft your messaging according to their needs. Remember, your social media content is not about you or your brand, it is about your customers. Also, finding the right tone and message will give you engagement!

If you want to learn more about how to set the right tone for your brand, have a look at this Buffer article.

  • Plan your social media content and call to actions (CTAs). CTAs must be actionable and should reflect the urgency of your posts. A clear call to action is necessary to send the right message to your followers. It is always advisable to start your CTA in an action word.
  • Plan your content calendar. Below is a content calendar template that I use. It’s from HubSpot and it’s easy to edit. You can always customize it according to your needs. In this case, my colleagues added a row where they can leave their suggested topics for the week.
  • Track and measure your results. There’s a saying that you can’t improve what you don’t track. It’s important to measure the metrics of your social media pages and analyze how they affect your organization’s goals. LinkedIn and Meta have provided their analytics page and you can customize the data range depending on the content you’ve posted.

Here’s a guide on how you can measure your conversions on LinkedIn.

Choose the Right Social Networks

We don’t need to be on each social media channel. It is frustrating that some stakeholders prefer to be on each social media network. Imagine the content you have to do and customize the messaging on each network. Besides, the key to an effective social media presence is to identify which channel truly resonates with your brand. It’s okay to have three and choose only the main platforms – Facebook, Instagram, and Tiktok are still dominant for B2C. For B2B, LinkedIn is the most effective tool.

Publish Engaging Social Content

Content is King. As a social media manager, you have to craft and publish engaging content. Engaging means interesting and relatable to your audience. Remember to always align your brand positioning with your tone, messaging, and content design. You don’t want to design a bright colorful infographic if your account is a government institution. Bright graphics usually applies to arts, entertainment, or anything that is related to youth.

Interact with Customers

Liking or replying to a comment of a follower won’t do any hurt to your brand. In fact, it will establish respect and trust. Your followers spent time to leave a comment on your post, it is better that you show appreciation by liking or replying back to their comments. Be authentic with your replies.

Foster Social Media Partnerships

You can always go back to your organization’s goals for this tactic. As a marketer, choose which initiatives are best for your brand. You can either partner with another brand, or hire an influencer that resonates with your products or service. Co-branding is essential in this initiative. It allows you to go outside your regular followers and can cause wider algorithm.

Below is a great example of partnership between TELUS and Vancouver White Caps.

Conclusion

Social media marketing is not an easy job. You have to be creative, trendy, and a good writer. If you lack the skills and experience now, it’s never too late to learn. What matters is you are aligned with the values and interests of the brand you are associated with, and amplify the messaging to your audience.  

Before ending my blog, here are some social media marketing courses that you may find useful. Hope you enjoy and have fun.

References:

Alexander, L. (2022, July 21). How to Write a SMART Goal. Retrieved from HubSpot: https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/how-to-write-a-smart-goal-template

Davis, D. (n.d.). Content Is King – Why You Still Need Great Content In 2023. Retrieved from Social Planner: https://socialplanner.io/blog/content-is-king/

Honigman, B. (2023, May 11). Social Media Marketing Foundations. Retrieved from LinkedIn Learning: https://www.linkedin.com/learning/social-media-marketing-foundations-22309474/what-is-social-media-marketing?u=2109516

Lee, K. (2014, April 14). How to Find Your Social Media Marketing Voice: The Best Examples, Questions and Guides. Retrieved from Buffer: https://buffer.com/library/social-media-marketing-voice-and-tone/

LinkedIn Marketing Solutions. (n.d.). Retrieved from LinkedIn: https://business.linkedin.com/marketing-solutions/reporting-analytics

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