If you think of social media as a one-night stand or occasional postings, banish the thought! Take it from an expert, business success, and growth with social media is achievable BUT only with an ongoing effective strategy. Please read this to the end!

Point one:

The primary purpose of social media is to engage and educate your potential clients. There is no value growing your number of followers if they do not fit your ideal client profile.

Point two:

To this end, you must be perfectly clear about who your target audience is. Within social media platforms, the key to eventual reward is knowing where, what, when, and how to post in ways to keep you or your business firmly in the minds of that audience.

Point three:

Your posts and messaging must inform, educate, entertain, resonate, inspire, and must constantly impress or wow your target audience.

Point four:

Vital too are meaningful, helpful follow-ups to readers’ comments or responses.

Point five:

While social media posts are not a direct sell, the ultimate aim is to get new clients and retain existing clients; within your posts, therefore, there should be links to your website, blogs etc.

Point six:

Your website or blogs must be clear in their messaging, demonstrate how you can solve potential client problems, and include ‘calls to action.’ By doing so you are providing a ‘no pressure’ way for readers to decide–on their own–to consult/work with you.

Above are the basics. Social media is a giant puzzle with pieces and parts having to work together and build on each other. Help is often called for!

Social media platforms are in constant ebb and flow change. If you are not ‘in the loop’ and don’t know how to navigate the systems and the upgrades, you won’t be using social media effectively. If you are not ‘social media savvy,’ hire someone who is.

Point seven:

Simply (having someone) blindly posting, falls well short of what is possible.

Point eight:

If you want an ongoing effective social media presence, hire a social media specialist who is both a strategist and a content expert. Most cost-effective will be a ‘virtual’ specialist.

Point nine:

In interviewing potential social media specialists, establish whether they will quickly understand the ‘ins and outs’ of your business, will be dedicated to ensuring that your messages are consistent, thought-provoking, never stale, and can advise–if needed–on how to improve your website content or call-to-action.  Ask for evidence of a proven method and track record.

To summarize: If done correctly, social media that provides thoughtful engagement to people who need the transformation you offer can drive traffic to your website and convert followers into paying customers!

A CASE STUDY IN POINT

Sandy, a business coach, disenchanted with his social media agency, came to us in February 2015. He was looking to book more consultations and secure a steady stream of clients.

At the time, he had over 1,500 subscribers, around 200 of whom had been opening his emails, a 13% open rate, but they were not becoming clients. He was frustrated that he was constantly writing new content and spending a lot of money with this agency, all to no avail.

What we found was that the agency had set up his social media platforms well but they were not being used effectively, and there was at best minimal ‘call to action.’ He was not sharing all his valuable content and helpful tips across all these platforms. We had him repurpose his content, update old posts from previous years, and, as new blogs were written, we would post excerpts plus a compelling call to action across all social media platforms to drive more traffic to his website.

In March 2015 we were ‘ready to roll,’ and by May—in just two months—as can be seen from this social media metrics report, we increased the number of visitors to his website from 23 to 212. His page views demonstrated equally improved statistics from 27 to 209. These metrics prove the importance of knowing how to use specific social media strategies to achieve the desired results.

A common mistake with new clients is their focus on metrics that don’t tell the complete story of how a strategy is working (or not working). This results in frustration and wasted money. Our metrics and reports are detailed and show exactly what is working and where their investment is going.

Key Takeaways:

• Lessen your self-imposed obligation to constantly write new articles, instead repurpose older existing content. (Additional Tip: Have your web designer remove the dates from your posts, so they don’t appear ‘stale.’)
• Continue to connect with new people and grow your audience on several platforms. If your current mailing list is not interested in what you are promoting and sharing and they’re not taking action to engage with you beyond being on your mailing list, you need to find new people who potentially would be.