Strategizing for Your Social Media

Is your social media exploding? Are you reaching your target audience with what you post and share? Or… Are you throwing whatever you can find out there to see what sticks?

If your social media feels more like a frat house kitchen with spaghetti noodles on the ceiling, instead of a well-put-together display of what you offer, it’s time for you to make a plan!

Remember when you began thinking about writing your book, publishing your website, or designing your product? You had a game plan. You set out to reach a particular audience with your knowledge and skill.

Well, guess what? You need to do the same thing with your social media! Otherwise, you are just throwing your time and energy against the wall in the hopes that someone will like or click or comment. Um, not recommended.

You have an audience. They read what you write. They listen to what you have to say. They buy your products. And you’ve worked hard to develop relationships with them. Why just throw out any old content to them via your Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter?

Add value to what you share. Ask yourself a few targeted questions so you can devise a strategy to make social media work for you, and them, as opposed to posting randomness that doesn’t serve anyone well.

So, how do you devise a plan? You start with a mission statement. That’s right. You need a mission statement for your social media. It doesn’t need to be complex – a few short sentences will do. Start by asking yourself some important questions about your audience and what you aim to accomplish by putting in the effort to share and post. Your answers will form the framework for your social media plan.

Think of it like this: You need to specify the why, what, and how.

Why do you want to use social media?

• Do you want to share your writing, product, or service?
• Do you want to build a community of like-minded people?
• Are you just having fun?

Whatever your ultimate goal is, you need to know why you are participating before you start to share and post. Understanding the why gives you a starting line and will help you to run a smart, consistent, and targeted race. This answer will create the foundation for the rest of your mission statement.

Maybe your goal is different than one of the things we listed above. That’s perfect. Just make sure you know why you are posting and then move forward.

What do you want to share on social media?

You have something to say. Your audience listens to you because you say that thing well. Specify what you are going to share so your audience feels loved and casual observers are turned into raving fans.

This is the time to be specific. Remember, it’s not about you. Your aim here is to benefit your audience with what you share. Do they respond well to graphics, videos, or articles? Take a poll if you need to; look at your stats to see what performs well; find out what engages your followers. You may love watching cooking videos, but if your audience is coming to you for business advice, what do you think you should be posting – puff pastries or planning tips?

After you nail down the “what,” create a list of ways to share and post that will keep your followers coming back for more. Be creative and have a bit of fun but use the 80/20 rule for best results (eighty percent targeted info, twenty percent fluff).

How will you reach your best customers or followers?

Discover where your people are and go to them with quality content they can’t resist. Make the how part of your mission statement so you’ll be focused on the right types of content and use your time wisely as you reach out to potential new followers.

Your core audience doesn’t exist on every platform. Find out where your people hang out. Do they like Facebook? Are they interested in a Facebook group for interaction, or do they prefer Instagram and a more graphic-based approach? Maybe they like storing and categorizing information on Pinterest. If there are a few of them in a specific place, you can be pretty sure there are more of them – you just haven’t reached them yet.

Your time is precious, and so is the time of your followers. Make the most of it with specific information that will benefit them. They will thank you with likes and shares which in the end benefits you.

Here’s an example:

XYZ.com‘s social media accounts exist to educate and encourage business owners by connecting them to the best resources on the web via short videos, interesting posts, and graphics with helpful tips on Facebook and Instagram.

See the underlying plan here? Benefit your audience and they will return the favor and bring friends.

Now you know the why, what, and how. Put it all together to create a mission statement that will keep you focused, pinpoint your content, and benefit your audience while drawing in potential new followers. Create a social media mission statement to help you reach your core audience and find new followers who will keep coming back for more. All it takes is asking yourself a few key questions and then implementing the answers!