Crain’s Cleveland Business Publishes Article by Laura Sheridan President of Viva La Brand: It’s time to revisit your social media strategy

Are you caught up in the social media frenzy?

There’s pressure for businesses to post regularly on LinkedIn and other social media sites. You’re coached about the importance of maintaining awareness among customers and prospects, and building community, and social media can be a great solution.

However, there’s no cruise control when it comes to social media.

The marketing universe is frenetic. People’s interests and problems change. Those changes lead to a change in social media behavior. And, as the age of social media matures, so do the expectations of customers.

A brand can no longer cross-post generic content across all their social media channels and expect it to produce results. Social media content cannot be blatant advertisements. Consumers are immune to this type of marketing.

Another challenge of using social media effectively is picking the right metrics to track and analyze. You can’t rely on likes, followers and comments to assess the effectiveness of your social media program. If those likes, followers and comments don’t lead to generating qualified leads, webinar registrations or service subscriptions, then your social media program may not be working.

You need a social media strategy.

It’s important to have a social media strategy to achieve your business goals. Ad hoc marketing that takes a reactive approach is risky and can lead to inconsistent messaging and branding, and a confused and disengaged audience.

Here are five steps to develop a customer-centric, results-focused social media marketing strategy:

1. Start with a well-defined objective

Whether it’s to increase brand awareness, promote an event, or generate qualified leads, it’s the most important step to make.

2. Market to a well-defined audience

Who do you need to connect with to achieve your goals?

If you’re a business selling to another business, a well-defined audience is not the names of the companies you’re soliciting. Your marketing efforts will be more successful if you identify the specific people at those companies who you need to reach.

3. Pick the social media networks where your target customers hang out

Don’t waste your resources on sites your customers don’t frequent. For many B2B companies, LinkedIn is the only social media site worth focusing on.

4. Develop high-quality, high-value content

Create high standards for your content. Publish information that establishes you as the authority on the subject.

These are the types of social media content that attract a lot of eyeballs and engagement:

• User-generated content: UGC is one of the best ways to create impressions and increase engagement with customers. It shows you are interested in what your audience has to say.

UGC includes images, videos and stories created by your followers, which you then share on your platform. Story contests, caption contests, or other fun challenges are great ways to generate and share UGC.

• Videos: In 2023, people are watching, on average, 17 hours of online videos a week. Videos can be very engaging and educational and are often shared.

• Livestreams: According to research by the Interactive Advertising Bureau, 44% of people surveyed said they watch less live TV because of live streaming.

• Infographics: They’re popular social media content because they are eye-catching and inviting, while sharing relevant, educational information.

5. Track, analyze and optimize results regularly

By monitoring your social media results, from likes, comments and shares, to completed lead forms, email subscription registration, and sales, you’ll see what content is connecting with your audience.

You can also gain valuable insights into the best time and frequency to post.

Final thought: Stay focused

It’s key to identify the social media networks that generate the most engagement and leads so you can focus your resources on the winners and stop spending time posting on the losers.

Social media networks offer a unique opportunity to connect more people with your brand.

Follow these five steps to develop a customer-centric social media strategy and your marketing resources will work harder for you.

Sheridan is the founder and president of Viva La Brand, a Cleveland-based brand and marketing strategy, research and agency search firm.