If there is one thing I learned after a few months of helping build Akubo’s online presence, it’s that a social media plan does not become successful overnight, or perhaps even in a week. Especially if you are new to the process as I am.
From creating blog topics to publishing on time, I know the responsibilities can be as overwhelming as the jargon you’ll find in many a Guide to Social Media Marketing, but I believe there are really just a few things you need to focus on when you start your social media plan.
The first question, as Simon Sinek writes, starts with why
Before you set up an account like a Twitter profile or Tumblr, remember this: just because we use a social network doesn’t always mean our average customer uses it too. Pick wherever your customers (and potential customers) can reach you. Let’s say you run an arts & crafts shop for young artists: besides a Facebook page for your updates, you might want to consider an Instagram feed — a familiar platform for many teenagers and young adults, and a great way to display beautiful photos of your products or even artworks that your customers created.
It’s also important to dig deeper with your goals. If you created a Facebook page to gain more followers, ask yourself: what kind of followers are you looking for, how many followers do you intend to gain, and how many months do you need to reach that target? Your answers will help you map out the rest of your plan.
The calendar is your best friend
Our initial plan was simple: share a news story or quote on Facebook every Monday, post a tip on Wednesday, and publish a blog article on Fridays. But how do we decide what story to share or what topic to write about?
And so the calendar is there to tell you what to do. Check the next month: are there any holidays or birthdays? Design a banner. Will you launch any new feature? Prepare your press release. Are you going to or sponsoring an upcoming event? Is it back-to-school time or tax season?
Mark the dates as a guide for your next digital update. The idea is to assign a theme every month, so your blog articles, Facebook posts, and other social profiles weave together consistently. But don’t look too much into the future — always be updated with the news, local and global, especially in your niche.
Think of your brand as a person
Sit down and strike up an imaginary conversation with your brand. Do they sound serious or casual? Would they talk excitedly or speak softly? How would they dress? How would they write a status update, an announcement, a blog article, or a photo caption?
When you update your company’s social media profiles, you’re using a different voice than your own. Nobody wants to read generic, corporate jargon in your ads, especially on your Facebook posts and Tweets.
Admittedly, I had my lapses in keeping up with our social media plan. We’re new to the process ourselves and we hope you learned something from this too. The challenge is to do everything consistently. The bottomline is: we do not join in the social network circus to create mindless advertising all the time. We’re here to talk to our customers, to give tips for work, to hear their stories and share ours.
WORDS BY JOY MARTIR, A GRAPHIC DESIGNER/WRITER FOR AKUBO