By Helen Wild
It was a pleasure to be invited to speak at this week’s CIM Wales Masterclass on Social Media, alongside speakers from WalesOnline, Branded3, Digital Maverick and Rockadove. Here’s a run-down of some of the key points that I shared during my presentation.
Think big picture
First of all, social media is not an isolated tactic or a ‘bolt-on’ to a campaign. Marketers need to ensure that it’s considered at planning stage and valued the same (if not more!) than more traditional channels.
Have a strategy
Without one, you could end up sharing poor content, on the wrong channel, wasting your time (and money). Be sure to consider your overall aim and what you’re trying to get out of social media against your business or organisational objectives (and make them SMART). Consider your target audience, channels, content, tone of voice, and make sure you have a (concise) policy in place.
Understand algorithms
All the main social channels use algorithms to determine the content that users will see in their newsfeeds. If you don’t attempt to understand how the algorithms on the channels that you’re using work, then you’ll struggle to create any impact. Think quality over quantity, as a poor piece of content could damage your social channel long-term.
Know your audience
A study found that the Facebook algorithm knows the average user nearly as well as their spouse! So, if you’re going to create content that resonates with your target audience, then you need to understand what makes them tick. Conduct focus groups, use online surveys, learn from your paid activity, and ask them what they want through real-time social polls.
Create great content
Easier said than done, I know! Consider how your audience will respond to it — will it be useful to them? Does it say something about them or someone they know? Does it evoke emotion? Always share content with supporting multimedia (images, video, GIFs, etc) and ensure that they are fully-optimised for the channel that you’re posting on.
Use your insights
There’s a wealth of (free) data and insights available to marketers which can help you to find out more about your audience and the content that they best respond to.
Give us a call
If all else fails, give me a call! We offer social media training; strategy development and consultancy; or full campaign management.
Comments