3 Reasons You Should Have a Social Media Strategy

Everyone is on social media … literally. According to HootSuite, there are more than 4.62 billion people on social media, with nearly 75% of Americans using social media [nearly 75% of the world’s population aged 13+ is on a platform].

You may think it should be easy to post on your business social media channels and make an impact on your business, right? Well, not exactly. In theory, yes, everyone is on some sort of social media channel, but the big questions are what social platform are they on and what are their expectations for content and engagement?

The lifecycle of social media and users has dramatically changed over the years. From the inception of Instagram with too many filters [guilty] to where we are now with influencer marketing and #nofilter on photos today, the world of social media has changed considerably over the years.

Social media can be a very powerful tool for your business given the amount of people utilizing the platforms. To use social media to your advantage and make the biggest impact for your business goals, it’s important to have a social media strategy for your business to make sure that you are on the right platform, with the rest message, reaching the right person.

Let’s dive into three reasons why your business should have a social media strategy.

1. Social media isn’t one-size-fits-all.

Having a social media strategy ensures that your business is active on the correct platforms that reach your brands personas. We know that personas are the building blocks to a successful business because they help describe your ideal customer in a way that personifies them in every business and marketing interaction.

With the number of social media platforms available to engage on and an average compound growth rate of 12% year, figuring out where your secret sauce of social media platform mix is key. Remember, your business isn’t for everyone, and you don’t want to have a one-size-fits-all approach to your social media strategy.

Maybe you sell a business-to-business [b2b] service and are considering where to share content. Because you aren’t selling a visual product and your persona isn’t active on Instagram, you may opt to focus your efforts on engaging content on LinkedIn. Whereas you are a fitness studio selling a business-to-consumer [b2c] service like a fitness class or program, seeing your product visually can help your persona envision themselves in your studio space, with content that relates and motivates them.

2. Gives a focus on what to post, where, when and why.

Generating content and executing a social media calendar takes a lot of time, energy and resources. It is very important to align with where your customers are and prioritize where your brand message will resonate. This will ensure that your time and resources are spent giving you the most bang for your buck.

Instead of thinking about posting content whenever it comes to you, having a social media strategy gives your brand focus on what to post and where. Consider thinking about your content in terms of core themes. Identifying your core social media themes gives your brand direction for content development and answers the why behind each and every post. Core themes should align and support your overarching business goals and marketing strategy.

Ideally, you’ll have between 3-5 key themes that will help you and your content team [or your marketing partner] brainstorm and write focused content that resonates with your target audience [persona]. From there, you’ll be able to schedule out posts throughout the month utilizing these themes as your guide.

3. Offers a foundation to review, reflect and drive impact.

Having a social strategy gives you a foundation to reflect and review what content in your monthly content calendar is working for your business and what isn’t. Reviewing analytics and your identified key performance indicator metrics [KPI’s] ongoing will give you insight on when you should continue moving forward in the same direction and when you need to pivot and try something new. Remember that the only constant is change so continue to refine your strategy, your personas and keep up-to-date with the changes that are happening on social media platforms that your brand spends time and money on.

Social media doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. If you’re interested in exploring a partnership for your social media needs, Bondi is ready to help you. From social media strategy, holistic management and execution, to a consulting partner, we are ready to start a conversation when you are ready. Fill out our contact form to request more information.