posted by

reading time: 2 minutes

As a business owner, you know that the marketing game has changed. The way you communicate with your customers, and market to your target audience, is so different from the way it used to be (back in the day), that you barely remember what it’s like NOT to be blogging and tweeting and monitoring your Facebook page. Am I right? But with so many different profiles and activities to manage–from Facebook to Twitter to Google+, Blogging and Pinterest and more–managing social media for your small business can be really overwhelming!

But it doesn’t have to be.

The best way to take control of your social media is to start with a plan. Setting goals and objectives will help keep you laser-focused — and save you both time and money. (Yes, social media marketing really does cost you money, whether you hire someone to help you or do it all yourself. Your time = money spent.)

To create a social media strategy, start by answering these questions:

  1. What does my company do (positioning) – and why does it matter.
  2. Why am I better than my competition (value proposition)? Be specific per the value you provide to prospective customers.
  3. Who is my audience? (create customer personas)
  4. What “issues” do they have that we can help with? (set up alerts to “listen” to the chatter around topics your target audience are buzzing about)
  5. Where are my customers “hanging out” online? (this is where YOU should be engaged)

Now, pull it all together and create a plan for your social media activities–including what profiles you will set up, the kind of content you’ll share, who will share it, and how often. Be as granular as you like–but keep it simple. If Facebook is a good fit, create a content strategy for your page. Include things like how many times a day you want to (and can) post? What kind of content will you share? If your customers and prospects are busy chattering on Twitter, think about the content you’ll share to get their attention. How will you add value and get noticed? How many times a day will you tweet, etc. You get the picture. Don’t get too lost in the details, though. Just think about what you want to accomplish and create a simple path to follow.

Think about this when you’re mapping out your plan: Listen. Engage. Be real. Add value.

Building your social media presence is so much easier if you take a step back and think about what you want to accomplish–and map out a roadmap to get there.

But remember, like any well-planned adventure, expect to take a few detours along the way. That’s half the fun!!