Don’t skip out on your social media strategy. It can make or break your campaign.
Think back to the last time you went to the grocery store hungry and without a list. It probably ended with you spending way more money than you wanted to and leaving with a cart filled with snacks you didn’t need. Without a list, shopping trips can go haywire. The same logic can be applied to social media campaign strategy. Without a clear and defined strategy, you’ll end up spending more money than you need with content that isn’t ideal for your campaign. Some people in the advertising biz even believe using social media without a strategy is just a waste of time because companies won’t see results if they don’t understand what content is most appealing to their target audience. Let's jump into social media strategy.
What is social media strategy?
There is a strategy behind everything we do in life. We have a strategy behind what you are looking to accomplish in a day; how you’re going to ask for that big raise; and even how you’re going to convince your kids to eat their vegetables. It should be second nature to know you should need a strategy for your social media campaigns. A social media strategy is essentially the full plan and roadmap for how you want your social media presence to be. There isn’t one main template for social media strategy, so you have to find a strategy that works for your company.
What should be included in a winning social strategy?
So you probably look similar to that person right about now. Social media seems like a simple addition to a company to increase engagement, reach, etc., but it actually takes a lot of skill and research. Don’t worry. I’ve got you covered with a few key points to keep in mind for creating a winning social media strategy.
Relationship-based social media marketing
In a society surrounded by advertisements focusing on selling a product or service, individuals are craving real brands. Consumers, especially younger generations, are looking for companies that they can relate to and build a relationship with from both sides. This can be used to your benefit when building out your strategy. Create content and calls to action that align with your target audience’s values and create content they would enjoy consuming.
Integrate video components
Tiktok has taken the world by storm. Consumers are drawn into the social media app that has short-form video content. Video consumption on social media platforms is expected to increase fourfold between 2017 and 2022. These videos are easily digestible for users and it doesn’t take much energy for them to register. More and more social platforms are using this video content on their interfaces to draw in consumers.
Social media stories
From the increase in popularity of TikTok, we understand that users are craving more short-form content. The attention spans of users online are slowly shrinking, and this means advertisements and content need to be short and to the point. One way to integrate this into a social media strategy is through stories. Most platforms now have a story option included in the interface because the companies saw how popular the feature was on Instagram. Stories are also a potential way to increase the authenticity of your brand by sharing behind-the-scenes shots or more natural content that isn’t as stylized as an Instagram feed post.
There are many other options you can use to build out your social media strategy. Here are more strategies that might help boost your brand to the next level.
No matter what type of client you have, a social media strategy is essential before beginning work on a campaign. If you’re still unsure of where to start, try working through the strategy of one of your favorite campaigns. You can learn a lot from studying previous work. And remember, strategy is important because you don’t want to end up with too many snacks from the grocery store.
