CHICAGO–How can you start strong (or get restarted) with social media marketing? Many credit unions use social media, with some much better than others, while other CUs do not actively dip their toes in social media.
“Starting a social media marketing strategy may feel intimidating due to an ever-changing digital landscape and varying playbooks for success,” wrote Tanya Hall, CEO of Greenleaf Book Group, on Inc.com. Hall offered these key factors to consider when planning a social media strategy:
Learn
First, wrote Hall, if someone is new to social media or just wants to brush up on their skills, they should turn to a number of informative blogs available, including Hubspot, Hootsuite, Sprout Social and many others to help you get started on all aspects of social media marketing. “If you are more of a visual learner, YouTube has a wealth of content available for social media marketing help,” said Hall. “Everything from setting up your first account, to posting your first paid ad, and navigating ads manager- practically anything you need additional assistance with can most likely be found on YouTube as a full tutorial.”
Hall said another path to consider is getting certified is another great way to help you get started in social media marketing. Hubspot has a great free social media marketing certification course that is great for both beginners and more advanced social media marketers, added Hall.
Which Platforms Will Be Most Effective
“With social media, sometimes less is more, yet sometimes more works. It all depends on your industry and your social goals,” said Hall. “In order to figure out which platforms will be most effective, it is essential to identify your target market and define your goal for using social media in the first place. For example, a company with a younger target market (Gen Z) trying to promote a new app would consider using mediums that are frequently used by Gen Z, like Snapchat, Instagram, or YouTube. Sometimes it takes a bit of trial and error to find the fit for your business, so don't get discouraged. A/B test, track the results and go from there.”
Content Mapping
Noting content is key, Hall said it must be relevant and engaging. “One of the first crucial steps in social media marketing is drawing out a content plan. Research your competitors. What kind of content are they using? Are they using photos, blogs, or videos?” asked Hall. “After you identify your target social channels and content formats, take it a step further and identify the kind of content you are going to promote.”
Hall recommending researching the best days and times to post on social for your platforms of choice (these key times vary by platform and audience), and creation of a content plan for your first month ahead of time. “Track the analytics and performance each week to see which days, and what content, performs best. This will allow you to A/B test and alter your strategy (if needed) for the following month.”
Determine Your Budget
In allocating a social budget, over the first few months Hall cautioned against putting all eggs in one basket. “Test your platforms to see what's performing best, and begin to allocate your budget accordingly. At the beginning of your social strategy, focus on organic growth and engagement. Follow your content plan, and over the first few weeks, look for the content that has the most organic engagement,” said Hall. “You will then be able to more intelligently allocate your budget. A/B testing and performance review are essential in this step. You may find a platform you didn't think would perform actually outperforms the others on the organic scale.”
Hall further recommended reviewing relevant KPI's and adjusting spend accordingly on weekly basis.
Be Authentic
A strong social media following comes with time, reassured Hall. “Purchasing followers and other shortcuts may award you vanity metrics such as likes or comments. However, those vanity metrics will not transfer to conversions,” she said. “A major contributing factor to a successful social media strategy is to be as human and authentic as possible. Don't over-push content or use automated bots. Engage with your audience. Respond to messages, reply to comments, and listen to your followers. A great feature of social media is having the opportunity to ask your followers what they want. If you are testing out some new content, put a poll on your Instagram story, asking your followers if they would like to see more of. Building a loyal following will pay off in the long term with higher conversions and an audience that will keep building as loyal followers recommend/share your brand or business with friends and family.”