Social Media Prowess: The Importance of an SMM Strategy for Your Brand

What is an SMM strategy? It is an action plan that defines exactly how you will use social media for your business needs and goals. You can endlessly post chaotic content that you think will work, but eventually, this plan will "burn out," so it's worth making and following a certain strategy. We will tell you how to create it in the article below.

Setting clear goals

The first major step is to define clear goals for social media. These can include creating brand awareness among the target audience, attracting potential customers, increasing trust and loyalty, creating and maintaining a brand image, and increasing conversions.

Key performance indicators (KPIs) in a social media strategy typically include the following parameters:

The number of followers: This metric helps you follow the dynamics of the increase or decrease of readers. Don't be afraid if you have a small number of unsubscribes, but if you see that they are increasing significantly, then something needs to change in your strategy.

Coverage: Determines how many unique users saw your posts or ads.

Engagement rate (ER): this parameter includes the number of likes, comments, and reposts of your content. It indicates the level of activity and interest of your audience.

Conversions: Measure the number of actions your audience takes after interacting with your content or ad. This can be the number of leads (potential customers), sales of goods or services, registrations on the site, etc.

Analysis of the target audience

For an effective strategy, you must know and understand your target audience. Conduct research and analysis to determine who they are, their interests, and their needs.

Analysis of competitors

Research how often and what type of content your competitors are publishing. Pay attention to how they engage with their audience and what works best for them.

Choosing a platform

Choose the media platforms that best suit your brand and where your target audience is most active. For example, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, X (Twitter), TikTok, and LinkedIn.

Pay attention to the peculiarities of content submission in each of them: Instagram is suitable for visually oriented brands that can create beautiful photos and videos; YouTube requires high-quality video content, constant channel updates, and investment to attract subscribers. In Facebook and LinkedIn, it is good to work through the promotion of personal brands of those associated with the brand; Twitter is about short, concise messages that reflect the main thoughts of the brand or are situational, that is, react to current events. TikTok needs creative, short video content that can go viral among a young audience.

Tone Of Voice

Considering the characteristics of your brand and audience, determine the tone of communication: formal, humorous, informal, professional, friendly, etc. Remember to adapt your brand voice to each of your audience's communication channels. For example, communication on Twitter can be more concise and, at times, witty. And on LinkedIn, it can be professional, business, or formal.

Content plan

It is a document that will help you plan, organize, and manage your content to achieve your strategy goals. Constantly monitor its execution and analyze the results. Change as necessary and add something new.

What should you consider when working with different channels?

Facebook/Instagram:

Frequency of publications: 5-6 times a week

Stories: Recommended to post every 1-2 days.

Promotion: Use a variety of ad formats, such as photos and videos, carousel posts, and more.

X (ex-Twitter):

Frequency of publications: 3-5 times a day.

Promotions: Promotional tweets that appear in users' feeds.

YouTube:

Frequency of publications: at least 1-2 times a week.

Promotions: Use pre-roll ads, carousel ads, etc.

LinkedIn:

Frequency of publications: 2-3 times a week.

Promotions: Advertisements that target a business audience.

Collaborations

Consider partnering with influencers or other companies. This will allow you to expand your audience, attract new followers, and increase your brand's perception. The most common interaction models in social networks include barter advertising, the “paid influencer” model, joint promotions, giveaways, cross-posting, and live broadcasts.

Choosing influencers in your niche can be key to successfully working with and achieving your marketing goals. Check if the influencer's audience and demographics match your target audience. The engagement rate is also crucial.

Conclusion

Bill Gates said, "If you are not present on the Internet, you do not exist at all." However, only presence is not enough; it must be structured and adapted to your audience. This is exactly why the SMM strategy exists. The best result will be if your SMM strategy leads to the creation of a real community of admirers of your brand or services.