The vast number of social media platforms we have access to nowadays might make the words “Social Media Marketing” seem intimidating. Not to mention they are constantly changing and rolling out new features which could affect the algorithms you’ve already based your strategy on. What remains the same, however, is that there is an increasing number of users on social media which makes it worth considering in your marketing strategy.
Having a well-thought-out organic strategy in place can help businesses build a strong brand, increase customer loyalty, and boost conversions. We’ve outlined some ways to help develop your Organic Social Media Marketing (SMM) strategy for 2022:
Understand Your ‘Why’
Before you start planning your strategy, evaluate your company’s needs so you can create content that appeals to your target audience.
Here are some tips when on how to do that:
• Identify what’s most important to your company
• Determine who you have the most potential reach with
• Listen to what people are saying about your brand online
• Set realistic expectations for ROI
Define your Target Market
Before you can create great content, you need to know who your target audience is and what they are looking for. To understand this, you must get into the minds of your ideal customers. Here are some tips on how to do that:
• Location – Where do they live? Are they local or do they come from another state or country? If they’re local, where do they live? Do you know their city or town?
• Demographics – How old are they, their gender, how much money do they make, what do they like to spend their time doing?
• Pain Points – What are the problems that your business solves for them? These can be big or small. It may be as simple as a pair of shoes that hurt when running in them.
Choose the Right Platforms
Each social platform is different, and the tone of voice should match the site you are using to keep the audience engaged.
On Facebook and Instagram, for example, you might want a more intimate and casual tone. On Twitter or Pinterest, your posts might need to be a little shorter and straight to the point. LinkedIn posts should be more professional and explain things in detail using stats and background information to attract people’s attention.
It is important to note that social media is also a great way to boost your customer service. For example, people are always looking for ways to vent about bad service and use Facebook reviews to do just that. This gives companies the opportunity to show the public that they are doing everything they can to make things right by responding to those negative reviews by showing they are trying to make things better.
Develop a Content Calendar
A content calendar helps you organize what want to post on each platform and on what day. It’s important to post consistently and vary the types of content on each channel. For example, one day you can post something that educates and inspires, another day might be about company news, and another day could be a blog post.
Keep in mind when creating posts to have a consistent brand of voice. This first step helps you figure out who you are going to be and how you will communicate on these sites. Be sure to balance being professional with staying approachable to your audience. Make sure that you’re comfortable with the tone of voice that you’re using; it should feel natural to you as well as reflect the values of your brand.
Align Yourself with Influential People in Your Niche
Tapping into an existing network of fans who are already interested in your product or service is much easier than going out and finding new customers. When done right, this can be a cost-effective way to build buzz and visibility for your business.
You might be able to do reach out to customers through a few phone calls or emails. Those you know personally may have social media accounts, blogs, and websites that they manage, or may be willing to help you out for free by retweeting or blogging about you.
You can also reach out to people who are known for being influential in your niche. This includes celebrities, major companies, leading authors, and more. You might want to start by looking up the “Top 50 Blogs” or other lists on sites like Quora.com, which ranks blogs based on influence rather than page views or traffic statistics.
Conclusion
It might take a little research, but it’s worth the effort to build your Organic Social Media Marketing Strategy. Think of it as spending the time to learn the rules and strategy of a new game. Once you’ve learned the game, you’ll have a deeper, more knowledgeable experience that will enrich your life while you play. The same is true of social media marketing. It’s worth the time and effort to understand the current social media environment so that you can engage with your audience in an effective and meaningful way.
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