The competition for attention is fierce.
No matter where you look – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or TikTok — standing out isn’t easy.
But, did you know that 97% of consumers now turn to the Internet before making contact with a business? That makes differentiation more important than ever before.
As a small business owner or entrepreneur, you know you need to maintain an established social media presence.
It’s how and where you connect with potential customers, and sell your product or service.
But, showing up on social media isn’t enough.
You have to engage and entertain an already overstimulated society. And not just entertain, but also provide fresh, relevant, and timely content.
But all that takes time, and as we know — time is money.
That’s where social media strategy ideas that keep your brand fresh and relevant come in.
So, where do you begin?
Here’s the inspiration you need!
10 Social Media Strategy Ideas that Generate Real Results
1. Know your Target Market
If I asked you who your target market is, would you know the answer? (Hint: It’s not everyone) To succeed, you need to know who you’re talking with.
Get to know your audience. Understand their needs and the problems you solve.
If you haven’t done your research before hopping on social media, then now is the time. Understand exactly how, when and why your target audience is using social media.
Don’t assume you have the answers. Do your homework.
2. Craft Your Content
As you begin to identify your exact niche, you’ll find that creating specific content becomes much easier. And once your message is specific, you have the chance to do much more than communicate.
Strive to create content that gets out of the head of your audience and into their hearts.
3. Create a Cross- Platform Strategy
The most successful companies leveraging social media are expanding their influence to several platforms.
To gain exposure and traction, create an integrated social media strategy.
This is one that combines multiple social media platforms, leveraging each one in a specific way.
4. Keep Your Branding Consistent
When people land on your social networks, do they know it’s you?
As you set up accounts on different social media networks, ensure your logo, color scheme, fonts, and graphics are consistent.
Whether it’s a branded Facebook cover or your Twitter profile picture, your look, feel, and message should be easy to identify.
5. Mix It Up
Are you posting the same content, in the same way, day in and day out? STOP!
Don’t just stick with the same old “picture with a caption” format. Test questions, large images, links to articles, and videos. Just as you’re not one-dimensional, neither is your audience.
Get creative!
6. Engage Your Audience
Once you begin to capture the attention of your audience through your content, make sure they feel special.
Respond, interact, and stay involved in the conversation. Your audience wants to get to know you.
Let them!
7. Follow the 70-30 Rule
The 70-30 rule follows this strategy: maintain seventy percent engaging, interactive, and entertaining content and thirty percent promotional.
Is this a hard and fast rule? No.
What it is is an easy way to audit your current content. How often are you posting or tweeting self-promotional information?
Maintain a high content value strategy and always monitor your target market. Before you post, ask — is this relevant, timely, or beneficial?
8. Check Your Analytics
Do you know what’s working on your social media channels and what’s not?
Research should be the backbone of any social media strategy. If you haven’t looked into your analytics, now is the time.
From Facebook insights to Google and Pinterest analytics, there is a wealth of data at your fingertips.
9. Keep Up With Industry Trends
Maintaining a finger on the pulse of trending topics and stories relevant to your target market should always be at the top of your to-do list.
Share breaking news or a trending topic with context around the content. What does it mean to your fans and followers? How will it impact their purchase decision?
Give your potential clients the details they need to make an educated decision, while positioning your business as a credible and reliable resource.
10. Reassess, Revise and Rework
Social media is fluid. This means your strategy must remain agile and flexible.
Take the information you cull from your analytics and adjust your strategy.
That’s the beauty of social media. If you stay alert, there’s always an opportunity to adjust your sails.
Final Thoughts
There is no one-size-fits-all solution to social media.
It’s important to keep an open mind, as you explore each social network and the tactics working within them.
Never be afraid to test something new or stick with something that consistently produces results!
Great article! Knowing your audience is such an important step and often overlooked.
Hello,
Thanks for sharing the informative info and that is a really good post you have shared about social media strategy ideas. As Social media is one of the best platforms to communicate with the people and it is one of the great services to promote your business online and bring your targeted audience.
Thank you such an informative post
Thanks for sharing this really informative blog.
I like the 70-30 rule and appreciate all the strategies that you shared.
Thank you for this information I was trying to reinvent the wheel and you have it all organized.
I’m not sure I agree with Point #2. Yes, I agree you should check your tweet, post, pin, or blog before you send it out. Make sure there’s no spelling errors, that you’re not offending anyone, and that it fits your audience. But Social media is immediate and real-time these days. You’re not always going to have time to sit down and craft your content. Some of it can be carefully planned but you also need to be ready to post at a moments notice if something happens in the world that’s relevant to your business or something that you’re doing.
Yes, Kelsey, i agree with you on your points, we are now in the digital age and things happen even before the blink of an eye, so, you definitely must be able to think on your feet and act in a way consistent with your brand image…
There is so many strategy & ways..
So keep selection which best to use 😀
I don’t have any grudge or negativity against you personally or professionally but my experience while being online has have been so bad that as soon I think of switching on net my consciousness just start rebuking and rebuffing me so hard that many a time I have started following that and remain away from it. It is just wastage of precious time and money. As far way of communication like email it is okay but rest of almost everything is fake and fraudulent. No one knows photo or name or address given is authentic or bogus.
I was aware of this fact but my students often argued and debated with me about benefits of internet so i agreed with them and went online ,on the contrary, I openly forbid parents of my students to save their wards from the exposure to net. I have been making list of sufferers. So far I have collected data from 500 people who have lost money while following online offers. I am collecting details of that as soon I compile enough informations ,definitely, I’ll publish that and will try to compel Indian policy makers and Indian judiciary to have control over it and those who are standing on faulty lines should have a visit to Tihar jail( famous Delhi jail) so that there may be little cleansing activity. Someone for whom I have a trust for being a noble and civilised, turn to be so worse that, that not only hacked my email. My desktop and mobile phones have has been hacked and consistent tapping is being done with my mobile.
Many time I decide to just say goodbye to internet but I am wasting money only to keep track till I book them legally.
Rebeka.
This is a very good summary. Thank you. Definitely I will send it in the newsletter to Colibri.IO users.
Hey Rebekah,
Really great post.
I find that many people don’t take the necessary time to craft their content, I’ve been guilty of this as well. But it;s something that I’m working on. When you can get into the hearts of your audience, you’re golden.
“When people land on your social networks, do they know it’s you?”
That’s an awesome question and one that everyone needs to answer. Because if the answer is no, then you have a branding issue. I’m not starting to understand branding and I’m trying to keep everything consistent.
Lastly, I like your point about mixing it up. I’ve been wanting to try to incorporate video into my blog for a while and never got around to it. May be something I try very soon.
We’ve known for a long time consumers will search the internet to find answers to their questions. This is true for B2B and B2C. Knowing your audience (and what keeps them up at night) is easier said than done. Creating or curating content and making it readily available on the social web is also easier said than done. These top level benchmarks will help us SMB’s focus on how to accomplish both tasks. 1) Be see by those we want/need to be seen 2) Provide info/value that will hopefully trigger the engagement phase of the relationship. If you can make them feel “special” all the better. Addressing their WiiFM is key to elevating the digital connection to a more intimate 1-on-1 relationship.
Rebekah, I found your post through BizSugar and I am glad that I did. I am going to share this with my clients. I am glad to see you address the cross-platform strategy because it is so critical. I need to do better about the 70/30 rule and mix things up a bit!….
Hi Jolynn! I love to hear that you came over from BizSugar. I’m a huge fan of that site. Cross pollination between platforms is something so many people miss, but incredibly important.
I hope to see you again soon!
Rebekah,
If anybody can teach us a thing or two about branding, it’s you, lady! Your branding is 100% consistent, ALL THE TIME. I do strive to keep things consistent but I’m always trying to make them look better too– if only I had picked winning designs from the get-go like you did!
Who does your graphics, by the way? Do you do them yourself or hire out? I’m dying to know.
Hope you’re doing well,
Brittany
Thank you Brittany – I really appreciate that! I do them myself, but have been looking for that perfect designer to hire. I finally found her and am looking forward to her creative vision.
You DO? Holy cow. You’re amazing. Just when I thought you couldn’t get any cooler. =) I’m excited to see what happens next!
You’re too funny Brittany. I do what I can! 🙂
Hey Rebekah,
This was a great break down of how to get the best out of social media. The one tip that lays out the foundation for the rest of this post is knowing who your target market is. Without knowing this then the rest wouldn’t matter too much.
Once you know this it also be wise to pay attention to analytics. Why? Because you want more of the type of people who are in your target market. It’s as if you’Re creation a template for your market that meets that criteria.
Thanks for sharing these tips Rebekah and I hope you have a great rest of the week!
You’re so right Sherman. If you don’t know who you’re speaking with, it’s going to be incredibly difficult to create content, stay consistent and see any results.
Hi Rebekah,
Seen this on G+ and the title grabbed me in. Indeed 97% of consumers do turn to the internet so we have to be there and socialize.
We do need to socialize with a strategy in mind, and if we do that well, people will gravitate towards us…not all of them, but those that we love to work with.
I love all your tips, especially keeping up with the trends and following the 70/30 rule.
Thanks for another awesome post.
-Donna
It’s so great to see you here Donna! You are a consistent blogger that has excelled by following each of these tips.
Thanks for stopping by!
Beautifully written and informative
I’d love to implement some of these ideas
Very much appreciated and thank you
Robbie
Hi Robbie! I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
Wao . . This is a round-up post .
Today happened to be my first time to Comment on your Blog, Rebekah ma’am
Though I have quite learn’t something new today. . Thanks for giving this guide out for free instead of making it an ebook which might cost money.
I hope to see more unique articles in here. .
Hey John! Thanks so much for your first comment. I look forward to seeing more of you here!
Hello Rebekah maam,
An awesome post. Getting to know strategies from an expert always has its benefits. I agree with almost all the points and what is more I believe and do is the 70/30 rule. I mean we are not here to promote only ourselves. Getting a verity is a must for the audience. If we provide them with proper values and the articles or news they wanted t know its better for us.
They say glued to our profiles.
So true Swadhin. It’s all about value and benefit. Make sure you’re providing both t your audience.
Two points,
First i am going to pay more attention on the cross platform strategy and second is i really like and appreciate the 70/30 ideas..really a nice tip..
Thanks for the nice idea
Awesome Prateek!