How to create a social media strategy

Are you ready to take your business to the next level? Picture this: your brand, buzzing across various social media channels, engaging customers, and driving sales like never before. That’s the power of a well-executed social media marketing strategy. 

But how do you develop such a strategy? Where do you even start? Don’t worry, this guide is here to help! 

We jump into the world of social media marketing, showing you how to create a foolproof strategy that’s perfectly tailored to your business. We’ll cover everything from understanding your audience to measuring your success.

So, are you ready? Let’s dive in!

Why bother with a social media strategy?

Having a social media marketing strategy is important because it helps businesses to achieve their marketing objectives and goals in an effective and efficient manner. A well-crafted social media marketing strategy can help businesses to:

Reach their target audience

Imagine knowing exactly where your potential clients are hanging out online, what they like, and how they behave. By pinpointing the perfect social media platforms and diving deep into the preferences of your target audience, you can craft content that truly speaks to them and strikes a chord. Engaging with followers has never been more personal or impactful!

Build brand awareness 

Imagine multiplying your brand awareness and recognition by maintaining a consistent and unified image across various social platforms. That’s the magic a well-crafted social media marketing strategy can do for your business.

Foster engagement

Social media provides businesses with an opportunity to build relationships with customers and prospects through engagement and interaction. A solid social media marketing strategy can help businesses to engage with their audience in a meaningful way.

Generate leads and sales

Imagine boosting your website traffic, generating hot leads, and skyrocketing sales through social media. Sharing captivating content, presenting irresistible promotions, and launching laser-focused ad campaigns is the secret sauce to your business success.

Save time and resources

Building having a social media marketing strategy so finely-tuned that it elevates your business impact while saving both time and resources. It’s not just a dream – it’s entirely possible with a well-devised and executed plan!

Monitor and evaluate progress

Picture this: A game plan that not only streamlines your social media marketing initiatives but also deciphers the real impact you’re making. That’s why we love a well-crafted social media marketing strategy! It’s a dynamic ally, adapting and refining your approach in tandem with your progress.

Key sections of a successful social media marketing strategy

Every business owner knows that social media is a key player in the game of marketing. But knowing that doesn’t quite cut it—you need to act on it. That’s where a robust social media marketing strategy comes into play.  

But developing a strategy doesn’t have to be rocket science.  It’s about understanding your audience, setting clear goals, and crafting content that resonates. 

These are the key sections that drive any successful campaign. Answer every bullet point for each section and you’ll be one step closer to a fully-fledged strategy.

Steal this layout for your final document!

Target audience

• Who are you going to target?
• What interests do they have?
• What are their pain points?

Objectives

• What do you want to achieve?
• Is it attainable?
• How long will it take to achieve the objectives?
• How will you measure success?

Platforms

• Which platform are your audience using?
• Have you got accounts already set up?

Content strategy

• What content does your audience want?
• Have you got the resources to make the content?
• What format will you deliver it?

Engagement

• How are you going to engage your audience?
• WIll you gather reviews?

Advertising

• Will you engage in paid social campaigns?
• What will the campaign look like?
• What’s your objectives?
• What budget can you allocate?

Analytics

• What metrics will you track?
• Do you have tracking set up already?
• Who’s responsible for monitoring?

Let’s explore each section in more detail.

How to research and define your target audience

Figuring out your target audience isn’t just a must-do step, it’s the secret sauce behind effective social media marketing. It’s a vital puzzle piece that, once placed, can help your business laser-focus its efforts and reach marketing objectives seamlessly.

To research and define your target audience for social media, follow these steps:

#1 – Analyse your customer data

Ever wondered who’s really into your brand? Dive headfirst into the treasure trove of your existing customer data. Scrutinise demographic details, unravel purchase histories, and decode behaviour patterns. This detective work will reveal the true face of your target audience and what they’re yearning for from your brand.

#2 – Study your competitors

Why are your competitors’ social media posts so successful? Take a sneak peek at their accounts. Discover their target audience and understand the content that gets them buzzing. It’s a smart, simple way to kickstart your own research.

#3 – Conduct surveys and focus groups 

What makes your target audience tick? Understand their world with surveys and focus groups. These tools can unlock the mysteries of their social media habits, preferred content, and what drives them to interact with brands on these platforms.

Prolific gives you access to over 130,000 participants to get the insights you need. With 250+ demographic filters, you can survey exactly who want.

#4 – Utilise social media analytics

Are your current social media posts actually getting results? Well, your answer lies right in the analytics provided by these platforms. Dive deep into this data treasure chest to understand your audience’s demographics, interests, and behaviours, and you’ll start to see trends and patterns that can guide your marketing strategy.

#5 – Segment your audience

Based on the data, identify the common characteristics of your target audience and create segments to represent each group. Here are some ways to segment:

Demographic segmentation 

Segment by factors such as age, gender, income, education, and location. Demographic information can provide valuable insights into your target audience’s needs and preferences.

Psychographic segmentation

Look at your audience’s values, attitudes, interests, and lifestyle. Are they different across different demographics and product users? From this, you can create content that resonates with your audience on a deeper level. 

Behavioural segmentation

Consider behaviour patterns, such as purchase history, product usage, and engagement with your brand. Behavioural segmentation provides valuable insights into how your target audience interacts with your brand and what motivates them to take action. Use this to increase conversions.

#6 – Create buyer personas

Once you have collected data from your research, use this information to create buyer personas – fictional representations of your target audience. Here’s how you should do it:

1. Identify patterns from above into 1-3 different groups. List their demographic, psychographic, and behavioural habits.
2. Give each buyer persona a name and a face. Use a stock photo to help bring the persona to life.
3. Describe their social media habits. List the platforms they use, the type of content they engage with, and the times they are most active on social media.

#7 Keep refining your target audience 

Your business is a living, breathing entity, constantly growing and adapting. So too, should your target audience. Routinely fine-tune your audience definition to guarantee your social media marketing hits the bullseye every time.

Set Marketing Goals and Objectives

Let’s dive into the absolute must-haves for your social media marketing strategy: specific and measurable goals. Here’s why they’re so critical:

Provides direction

Imagine steering your social media marketing ship with purpose and precision. Specific, measurable goals are your compass, guiding your efforts and helping you prioritize your activities effectively.

Facilitates tracking and measurement

Ever wondered how to gauge the success of your strategy? It’s all about setting clear, quantifiable goals. These allow you to monitor your progress, measure results, and pinpoint exactly what’s working and what needs a tweak.

Increases accountability

By defining concrete, quantifiable targets, we create a culture of responsibility. This ensures that every player in your social media marketing team is pulling in the same direction to achieve a shared goal.

Different type of goals

When it comes to social media marketing, businesses have a plethora of goals to choose from. Let’s dive into these exciting opportunities:

Awareness 

Let’s dial up your brand’s recognition! Goals like boosting your social media following, ramping up engagement rates, or rocketing your brand mentions can truly elevate your brand’s visibility.

Examples:

1. Increase brand awareness by gaining 5,000 new followers on Instagram within three months.
2. Increase brand mentions on social media platforms by 20% compared to the previous quarter.
3. Increase engagement on Facebook posts by 25% by actively responding to comments and questions within 24 hours.
4. Increase website traffic from social media channels by 15% by sharing valuable content and including compelling calls-to-action.
5. Generate 100 user-generated content posts featuring our brand hashtag within one month, showcasing our products and services.

Traffic 

Are you eager to channel a surge of traffic to your website? Amplify those click rates, skyrocket your blog views, or witness an influx of visitors to your site, all courtesy of a well-crafted social media strategy.

Examples:

1. Increase website traffic by 20% within the next three months.
2. Drive 500 more website visits per week from social media channels compared to the previous month.
3. Increase click-through rates (CTR) on social media posts by 15% through compelling call-to-action (CTA) strategies.
4. Direct targeted social media traffic to specific landing pages that align with campaigns or promotions to boost conversions.
5. Generate a total of 10,000 website visits from social media sources within the next six months.

Lead generation 

Set goals that get results – like doubling the number of email subscribers, driving up form submissions, or increasing your social media leads.

Example:

1. Increase the number of qualified leads generated from social media by 30% within the next quarter.
2. Obtain 500 new email subscribers from social media sign-ups in the next month.
3. Increase the conversion rate of social media traffic to lead capture forms by 20% through optimized landing pages and compelling offers.
4. Implement a lead magnet campaign on social media to attract potential customers and grow the email subscriber list.
5. Generate 100 sales-qualified leads from social media campaigns within the next two months.

Sales 

Are you using social media to increase your sales and revenue? Maybe you’re looking to sell more products, boost your average order value, or increase your conversion rate from social media. These are all achievable goals with a solid social media marketing strategy!

Example:

1. Increase online sales revenue by 20% within the next quarter through social media channels.
2. Achieve 500 completed transactions from social media referral traffic in the next month.
3. Increase the average order value of social media-driven sales by 15% through upselling and cross-selling strategies.
4. Implement a social media remarketing campaign to re-engage potential customers and encourage them to complete their purchase.
5. Generate 1,000 sales-qualified leads from social media campaigns within the next two months, with the goal of converting them into paying customers.

Customer engagement 

Set your sights on sparking meaningful conversations and nurturing relationships with your audience. This could be through amplifying the volume of comments, skyrocketing shares, or boosting those precious interactions with your brand.

Example:

1. Increase average post engagement rate by 15% within the next three months.
2. Achieve 500 comments and 1,000 likes on each social media post on average in the next month.
3. Respond to all customer inquiries and comments on social media within 24 hours to improve engagement and foster positive interactions.
4. Implement a user-generated content campaign to encourage customers to share their experiences and engage with the brand on social media.
5. Increase social media followers’ active engagement (comments, likes, shares) by 20% within the next six months.

Reputation management 

Steer your brand’s reputation towards positivity, reducing those pesky negative comments, and boosting the number of glowing reviews. Think about how uplifting it would be to see your brand sentiment flourish. These are the goals we’re targeting.

Examples:

1. Increase positive sentiment and reduce negative sentiment in social media mentions by 20% within the next quarter.
2. Monitor and respond to all customer reviews and feedback on social media platforms within 24 hours to maintain a high level of reputation management.
3. Implement a proactive social media listening strategy to identify and address any potential reputation issues or customer concerns promptly.
4. Showcase positive customer testimonials and success stories on social media platforms to enhance brand reputation and credibility.
5. Increase the average rating of the brand on social media review platforms by 0.5 points within the next six months.

Innovation 

Set your sights on uncharted territories! Dare to innovate by experimenting with fresh social media platforms, exploring diverse content formats, or delving into novel advertising strategies. This journey into the unknown could unlock a world of opportunities.

Examples:

1. Launch a new social media campaign that showcases an innovative product or service feature within the next month.
2. Increase social media engagement on innovation-focused content by 25% through likes, comments, and shares within the next quarter.
3. Collaborate with industry influencers or thought leaders to create and promote innovative content, reaching a new audience segment.
4. Highlight the brand’s commitment to innovation by sharing behind-the-scenes content, product development updates, or case studies that showcase innovative solutions.
5. Introduce a new interactive social media feature, such as a chatbot or augmented reality experience, within the next two months to enhance customer engagement and demonstrate innovation.

These are just a few examples of the types of goals that businesses can set for their social media marketing efforts. The key is to set goals that are aligned with your overall business objectives and to choose goals that are relevant, achievable, and measurable.

How to set realistic and attainable goals

It’s hard to know what’s achievable with social media – especially if you’re just starting out! For certain, you won’t amass 1,000,000 followers overnight. That’s why setting realistic goals is important.

Here’s a few ways to help set social media goals that you can actually achieve:

1. Align with business objectives

Let’s weave your social media marketing goals seamlessly into your broader business objectives. By doing this, every tweet, post or share you make will be a strategic move that propels your business towards success.

For example, you don’t want to be talking about window cleaning 24/7 when your business is pushing their pressure cleaning service. The goals don’t match and the results will not be aligned.

Choose goals that help the company-wide strategy.

2. Use SMART criteria

Set goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound (SMART). This will ensure that your goals are clear and concise, and that you have a clear plan for how to achieve them.

Example: Achieve 5,000 extra purchases from social media traffic in the next 6 months by running a paid campaign.

Weak goals, like 1 million likes tomorrow, don’t help anyone and stint progress. Be clear on where you want to go, how you’re going to get there, and when you’re going to get there.

3. Consider current performance

Take into account your current social media performance when setting goals. This will help you to set goals that are challenging but realistic and attainable.

If you have 1,000 TikTok followers, you’re not going to get increase it to 100k in the next 30 days. Aiming for 3-9k extra followers within 12 months is a lot more realistic whilst keeping everyone happy.

Base all goals off your current performance – not some arbitrary figure.

4. Review past performance

Look back at your past social media marketing performance and use this information to set goals that are based on historical trends and patterns.

Example: Increase CTR on our faux roses by 20% for February YoY with a valentine user-generated content strategy.

5. Involve your team 

Bring your team into the heart of the goal-setting journey. This step ensures that everyone is on the same page, fully committed to hitting the targets. Plus, it validates that your ambitions are grounded in reality, taking into account the strengths and resources of your team.

For example, there’s no point setting video goals when you don’t have videographer and editor to execute the work. Plus, if no one likes being on camera, it’s going to be a hellish campaign for everyone.

6. Set intermediate goals

Let’s sprinkle your journey with mini-milestones, keeping the momentum alive and your motivation kicking. Plus, these checkpoints provide a perfect opportunity to tweak and fine-tune your strategy as you progress.

7. Revisit and adjust

Keep your strategy dynamic! Regularly reviewing and tweaking your goals is essential to keep them achievable and pertinent. This way, your social media marketing efforts will always be aligned with your evolving business objectives.

Conduct a social media audit

A social media audit isn’t just about identifying what’s working and what’s not. It’s about gaining a clear understanding of your online strengths and weaknesses, and using this knowledge to shape a robust plan for social media improvement.

Imagine a social media audit as a health check-up for your business’s online presence. It’s a deep dive into your current social media accounts, scrutinizing their performance and spotting areas that are ripe for enhancement. 

Key elements of a social media audit:

Imagine unearthing a treasure chest of insights about your social media presence, that’s what a social media audit is all about! It’s a report that not only highlights your current scenario but also offers actionable steps to enhance your performance. 

Pinch this layout, answer the questions, and you’re half-way there!

Profile review

• Is your business profile up to date?
• Does the cover photo include a call-to-action?
• Is the profile description optimised for keywords?

Content analysis

• Are you hitting your current content targets?
• What post types perform well?
• Is there a certain time of day they perform better?
• Does the audience engage more with image or video?

Competitor analysis

• What are your competitors doing well?
• What posts are winning for them?
• What aren’t they doing so well?.

Best practices review

• Is the quality of your posts up to scratch?
• Are you on the right channels at the moment?
• Is there a better format you could be using?

Let’s explain each section.

How to conduct a profile review

1. Review profile information

Check that all profile information is up-to-date, accurate, and consistent across all social media platforms. This includes the business name, address, phone number, and website URL.

2. Evaluate profile picture and cover photo

Ensure that the profile picture and cover photo are high-quality and represent the business in a professional and visually appealing way.

3. Check profile description

Make sure the profile description accurately reflects the business, including its mission, products or services, and target audience.

4. Analyse user name and handle

Check that the user name and handle are consistent across all platforms, easy to remember and recognize, and aligned with the business’s branding.

5. Evaluate completeness 

Ensure that all social media profiles are fully completed, including all sections and fields, to provide a complete picture of the business and its offerings.

6. Assess tone and voice

Take a moment to examine the tone and voice echoing through your business’s social media profiles. Is it consistent? Engaging? More importantly, does it truly mirror your brand’s persona? This is the crux of creating a magnetic social media presence.

7. Look for opportunities to optimise

Identify opportunities to optimise the profile information and make it more effective, such as adding keywords to increase visibility or incorporating more personality to stand out from competitors.

How to conduct content analysis

Ever wondered how to make your social media content work harder for you? A content analysis is your secret weapon. It uncovers key insights about the performance of your posts, revealing chances to supercharge your social media presence. 

Information gleaned from this analysis isn’t just interesting – it’s actionable. Use it to shape a powerful social media marketing strategy that propels you towards your business objectives.

1. Gather data

Collect data on the types of content that have been posted on your social media accounts, including the frequency, format, and date of each post. You’ll have all this from the audit.

2. Assess content format 

Determine the types of content being shared on social media, such as text posts, images, videos, and stories.

3. Measure engagement 

Analyse the engagement rate of each post, including the number of likes, comments, and shares, to determine the most effective types of content.

4. Evaluate frequency of posting

Determine the frequency of posting and assess whether it aligns with your social media marketing goals and target audience preferences.

5. Look for trends

Identify trends in the content being shared on social media, such as popular topics, themes, and formats, to help inform future content strategies.

6. Compare to competitors

Compare your content analysis to the content strategies of your competitors to identify opportunities to differentiate and improve your social media presence. See below for our step-by-step guide.

How to conduct competitor analysis

Here’s an opportunity to shine brighter than the rest. Dive into a comprehensive competitor analysis to gain a profound understanding of your rivals and the business landscape. Pinpoint areas for enhancement and make your social media marketing strategy uniquely yours.

To conduct a competitor analysis for social media, you can follow these steps:

1. Identify competitors

Identify the key players in your industry who have a strong social media presence and are competing for the same target audience.

Questions to ask:

• Are they direct competitors?
• Are there any publishers/content curators who outperform you?

2. Analyse their social media presence

Evaluate the type and frequency of content they are sharing on social media, including the platforms they use, and their overall social media strategy.

Questions to ask:

• How often are they publishing?
• What content is working really well for them?

3. Measure engagement and reach 

Determine their engagement rate and reach on social media, including likes, comments, shares, and impressions, to assess their overall performance and impact.

Questions to ask:

• What type of content gets the best engagement?
• How would you increase engagement on posts with high impressions?

4. Evaluate their target audience

Determine the type of audience they are targeting, including their age, location, and interests, to gain insight into their target audience and how they are engaging with them.

Questions to ask:

• Do they have the same target audience as you?
• Who is regularly engaging with the brand?

5. Look for opportunities

Identify opportunities to differentiate and improve your social media presence, such as by targeting a different segment of the market or using different platforms, based on your competitor analysis.

6. Monitor competitors regularly 

Regularly monitor your competitors’ social media presence to stay up to date on their strategies and adapt your own strategies accordingly. There are tools available, but may be out of budget for small businesses.

How to conduct best practices review

Ever wondered if your social media strategy is on par with the industry’s best? A thorough review of best practices will help you stay in the game. It’s your chance to align with industry standards, incorporate the latest tools, and master techniques that will skyrocket your social media marketing efforts. 

To conduct a best practices review for social media, you can follow these steps:

1. Research industry standards

Research and identify the best practices for social media marketing in your industry, including the type and frequency of content, the platforms used, and overall social media strategy.

2. Evaluate your own practices

Evaluate your own social media marketing practices, including your content, platform usage, and overall strategy, and compare it to the industry standards you have researched.

3. Identify areas for improvement

Identify areas for improvement in your social media marketing practices, such as the need for more engaging content or the optimization of specific metrics, based on your review of industry standards.

4. Consider new platforms and tools

Consider new platforms and tools that can help you improve your social media marketing practices, such as social media management tools, automation tools, and analytics tools.

5. Stay up to date

Regularly review industry standards and best practices for social media marketing, and adapt your own practices accordingly to stay up to date and optimise your social media marketing efforts.5

Create a content strategy

The content strategy is where the magic happens. This is what helps you pull everyone together to deliver your vision. 

Let’s explore the different types of content you can make and how to create a content calendar that, well, kicks ass.

Different types of content

Imagine a world where your social media marketing sails smoothly without any hitches. That’s the magic of a content calendar and publishing schedule! It’s your secret weapon for keeping everything shipshape, ensuring your social media platforms are consistently brimming with fresh, engaging content tailored to your audience’s interests.

There are several types of content that can be used in social media marketing, including:

Visual content

Get ready to captivate your audience with a vibrant mix of images, videos, and infographics. These visual treats are not just eye-candy but powerful tools to engage, inform, and hook your audience. Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words, and in the world of social media marketing, it’s a lightning-fast way to convey your message.

Written content

Dive into the world of creating blog posts, articles, and social media updates, each bursting with comprehensive insights on your chosen topic. This written content isn’t just words on a screen – it’s a powerful tool that can catapult your brand into a position of industry leadership and drive a torrent of traffic to your website.

User-generated content

Harness the raw, authentic content from your followers – their comments, reviews, and photos. This treasure trove can be an incredible tool to spotlight your brand and cultivate deeper connections with your audience.

Influencer content

Partner with social media trendsetters, those who command the attention of a vast audience, to showcase your brand. This could take the shape of sponsored posts, enticing reviews, or even captivating social media takeovers. A whole new world of potential customers awaits you!

Live content

Embrace the power of real-time interaction with your audience through live videos, streams, and chats. This dynamic content isn’t just fun – it’s a formidable force for boosting brand visibility and sparking lively engagement on your social media platforms.

Repurposed content

Take your already brilliant blog posts or articles and giving them a new life on different social media platforms. This magic trick, called repurposing content, not only amplifies your content marketing efforts but also helps you tap into a broader audience spectrum.

Interactive content

Why not spice up your social media presence? Quizzes, polls, and contests are not just fun, they’re strategic tools to boost engagement and elevate your brand’s visibility. Interactive content isn’t just about entertainment – it’s about creating a buzz around your brand on social media.

How to create a content calendar

Creating a content calendar and publishing schedule for social media can help ensure a consistent and effective social media marketing strategy. Here are the steps to create a content calendar and publishing schedule:

Determine your content themes

Let’s start by pinpointing the themes and topics that will take center stage in your content. It’s vital that these resonate with your marketing goals. This will be the compass guiding your social media marketing voyage.

Plan your content 

Let’s unlock your creativity and dive into the world of content planning. What’s your unique mix? Will it be intriguing blog posts, captivating images, riveting videos, or something else you’ll share on your social media platforms? Let’s discover together!

Schedule your content

Ever thought of using a scheduling tool or spreadsheet to master your content timeline? It’s a smart move. You’ll be able to plan out your content’s release dates and ensure you’re always delivering fresh, relevant material to your audience.

Assign roles and responsibilities

Let’s get started by identifying the key players. Who will be the creative genius crafting and publishing content? Ensure everyone in the team clearly comprehends their responsibilities – clarity is the first step towards success.

Continuously monitor and adjust

Keep a close eye on your content calendar and regularly take its pulse. Once a month, make a date with your metrics. Let these insights guide you in tweaking and turbo-charging your social media marketing strategy.

Are you collaborating with a social media marketing agency? They often condense all the vital details into a comprehensive report. Use this treasure trove of information to make insightful decisions and steer your social media strategy in the right direction.

Engage your audience

Chatting up your audience on social media isn’t just a fun pastime – it’s a critical piece of a winning social media marketing game plan.Let’s dive into some practical tips on how to test your social media marketing strategy, shall we?

Different ways to engage on social meda

Get ready to unlock the power of engagement on social media! It’s time to delve into the diverse types of online interactions and see how they can help your business flourish. By mastering these engagement tactics, you’re not just marketing—you’re creating meaningful relationships with your audience and setting your brand up for a social media victory.

Let’s start by exploring different ways you can engage with your audience:

1. Likes/Reactions: A like is a simple way for a user to show support for or interest in a piece of content.
2. Shares: A share is when a user re-posts or forwards content from one account to their own followers.
3. Comments: A comment is a written response to a piece of content, which allows users to express their thoughts or ask questions.
4. Mentions: A mention is when a user includes another user’s username in a post or comment, bringing attention to their account.
5. Direct Messages: Direct Messages (DMs) are private messages between two users on a social media platform.
6. Reviews: Reviews are written evaluations of a product or service, typically posted on a business’ social media page or on a third-party review site.

Techniques for building relationships with your followers and fostering customer loyalty

Embracing these savvy tactics, businesses can cultivate robust bonds with their followers, fortifying customer fidelity on social media platforms. 

Ready to spark digital connections? Here are some dynamic methods to nurture meaningful relationships with your audience and bolster customer loyalty on your social media channels:

Respond to comments and messages

By answering comments and messages, you’re telling your followers that their interaction matters deeply to you. You’re not just interested, but genuinely invested in their thoughts and viewpoints.

Share user-generated content

Imagine showcasing the voices of your loyal followers in the form of user-generated content. Whether it’s glowing reviews, heartfelt testimonials, or vibrant photos, it’s a fantastic way to foster trust and express your gratitude towards your online community.

Ask questions

Ever thought about unlocking the power of open-ended questions? They can ignite intriguing conversations and inspire your followers to interact with your content actively.

Offer promotions and contests

How about making social media more exciting? Try offering promotions and contests. It’s a fantastic way to spark engagement and give a big thanks to your loyal followers for their continued support.

Provide helpful information

Imagine becoming a go-to source for insights in your industry! By regularly sharing valuable tips and best practices, your brand can climb the ladder to authority status.

Measuring and analysing results

Measuring and analysing the results of your social media marketing is essential for making informed decisions and improving your overall performance. It allows you to constantly refine and optimise your strategy to reach your goals and achieve success.

Measuring and analysing the results of your social media marketing is important for several reasons:

1. Determine effectiveness: Measuring the results of your social media marketing efforts helps you to determine which strategies are effective and which ones are not.
2. Set benchmarks: By tracking your results over time, you can set benchmarks and track your progress towards achieving your goals.
3. Make data-driven decisions: The data you collect through measurement and analysis can inform future decisions about your social media marketing strategy.
4. Adjust your strategy: Based on the results of your measurement and analysis, you can make adjustments to your social media marketing strategy to improve performance and reach your goals more effectively.
5. Demonstrate ROI: By measuring the results of your social media marketing, you can demonstrate the return on investment (ROI) for your efforts and justify future investments in social media marketing.
6. Stay competitive: By staying up-to-date with your results, you can stay competitive in your industry and keep pace with changes in the market.

Metrics to track

When you dive into the world of these metrics, you’re unlocking a treasure chest of insights into your social media marketing performance. This knowledge is power – it equips you to make savvy, data-driven tweaks to your strategy, fine-tuning your approach to get the very best results.

Metrics get decided when you set objectives. They’re the very figure you’re determining your strategy’s success on.

However, there are top-line metrics that quickly highlight the direction of your campaign. For example, you want to increase CTR, but if your impressions are tanking, you’ll never achieve.

We’ve compiled a list of generic metrics. Choose the most relevant to monitor and setup analytics. Whoever is responsible for monitoring must let you know when metrics turn against you. If they do, investigate why and adjust accordingly.

Engagement metrics

• Likes/Reactions
• Comments
• Shares
• Clicks

Reach metrics

• Impressions
• Reach

Traffic metrics

• Organic Social
• Paid Social

Conversion metrics

• Sales
• Leads
• Revenue
• Cost per lead/sale

Demographic metrics

• Audience
• Age
• Gender
• Location

Now it’s time to execute

And there you have it! A comprehensive guide on how to build your own social media marketing strategy test.

It’s a bit of a journey, isn’t it?

But it’s one worth embarking on.

Remember, social media isn’t just a place for cute cat videos and holiday snaps. It’s an incredibly powerful tool for businesses that want to connect with their customers on a personal level, build brand awareness, and ultimately drive sales.

So, ready to take your business to the next level? Let’s recap: 

• Start by setting clear, measurable goals. What are you trying to achieve?
• Know your audience. Who are you speaking to, and what do they want to hear?
• Choose the right platforms. Where does your audience spend their time?
• Create compelling content. What will engage your audience and inspire them to take action?
• Measure your results. Are your efforts paying off?

Take these steps to heart, stay agile, and be ready to adapt your strategy as the digital landscape evolves. There may be some trial and error along the way, but with persistence, you’ll find the formula that works best for your business.

Good luck!

Don’t miss the target on your social media campaigns

Social media is hard. It requires a dedicated team of content creators, writers, animators, and videographers to pull off a successful campaign. That’s not including the researchers and analysts who lay the foundations and keep you on track.

Lightbox removes guessing by creating game-changing content.

Working with the biggest national and international brands, we know how to spot and capitalise on hidden opportunities. Together, we’ll launch campaigns that resonate with your audience whilst driving revenue.