Social Media Strategy Focus
Although it encompasses much more, digital marketing has become synonymous with social media. This has driven companies to pursue social media platforms in all of their variety without context. If there were only a few platforms available, this would be an easily accomplished task, but there are over 100 platforms. It is nearly impossible to be on every social site in existence. How a company chooses to pursue a social media presence should be decided by: a social media manager, an industry-based social media strategy, or an agency.
Hiring a social media manager
If done correctly, utilizing a social media manager is very effective and will allow your company to focus on what it does best while someone manages the reputation aspect. The social media manager should have a good grasp on the best practices of enhancing presence online. This includes: when to post, which platforms are most relevant for the company, and great strategies for campaigns to grow followers while driving revenue. One of the caveats to this approach is finding a social media manager. From a cost perspective, the average social media manager costs are rising (social media manager job pay). This pay is not inclusive of an internal employee who would require benefits etc. Overall, this is an approach best reserved for larger companies or specific industries with a targeted need to manage their reputation.
An industry based strategy
There’s a reason you may not have seen many B2B companies on Facebook. The reason is, every platform has a purpose. Although this list is not all inclusive or exhaustive, it will guide you towards the right track and covers the top three platforms.
This platform provides an opportunity for solopreneurs, small businesses, and large brands with a community to drive engagement. Real-Estate and insurance agents use this platform on an individual basis to constantly engage and build referrals. Large brands look at Facebook to gauge feedback on new promotions, and manage their reputation.
Visual brands do best on Instagram as it is the nature of this platform. Apparel, entertainment, food & beverage, and auto industry. These companies are able to leverage the visual aspect to allow the consumer to imagine an experience or promote and sell a product.
Youtube
This is a platform that can be used by any industry for a variety of reasons, but the most common approach is for education, and promotion. As the “how to center” for most do it yourselfers, this platform allows companies to provide expertise and show brand superiority through promotion. While this seems like a great opportunity for most businesses, it requires time to record a video and develop an optimized description.
Hire an agency
If time is not an abundant resource and your company would rather focus on its core competency to grow the business and deliver results, hire an agency. A trusted agency will be able to learn about your unique positioning and implement their industry insights and best practices. They will be able to leverage their experience in campaign creation and organic growth to deliver results. When selecting an agency to manage your online presence companies should look for: transparency, competency, and results. The right agency will turn marketing from a cost center to a profit center.
Overall, whether it is hiring a specialist, doing it on your own, or hiring an agency make sure your social media strategy is focused. A focused strategy will allow your business to build a quality digital presence on a concentrated few platforms. Just because the platform exists, does not mean your company has to be there.