"Create a customer journey. Guide your audience from the time they first notice you to the time they choose you. Increase your Visibility, Credibility, and LIKEability in a few strategic steps."

Does your business have a social media strategy? 6 out of 10 small businesses have issues with their social media strategy.  Either they aren't seeing results, they can't stay consistent, they don't know what to do next. Most have started a page but don't actively post or engage.  In addition, they are shooting from the hip and don't have a plan of action.  This is where the #socialbusinessplan comes in. 

By implementing just a little bit of planning you can make sense of your social media. Most importantly you can make your social media profitable and productive.

Here are 5 easy and effortless steps you can take today to create your profitable online presence...

1. Determine your overall goals and your objectives

Your social media and online marketing goals are not separate from the overall goals of the business. How do you want to use social media to help your business? What goals do you want to achieve?

Create measurable and achievable goals. For example, if you currently get ten new email sign-ups a month, setting a goal of 20-35 and increase that number on a monthly basis. 

Here are some common goals: be sure to add metrics to your goals 
(here are some ideas)

• Increase brand awareness - track clicks and website traffic
• Get new customers - benchmark your current lead/close rate. Track progress.
• Create an engaging community - benchmark your current reach and social media following.
• Nurture leads and peek curiosity - this is a little more difficult to specifically track. Tracking your website traffic, social media activity, and call-to-action traffic.  

2 Know Your Audience (Identify their online habits)

Who do you want to engage with on social media. This is your target audience.

This could be:

• Potential clients
• Partners
• Affiliates
• Industry Influencers

Knowing your audience will help you determine where you should place your efforts, how to craft your messaging, and positioning your call-to-action.

• Know the demographics. Geography, current characteristics of key clients, buying behaviors.
• Know where they engage. Online & offline.  

The more you know your audience, the more productive you will be online.

3 Brand yourself

Take ownership of your social media platforms. 

Completely fill out your profiles on all your social media platforms. You may need to get creative if your exact company name has already been taken.  Use your company branding across the channels.

Branding helps customers recognize your company and the problem you solve. 

Keep in mind keywords, adding your social media profile links to your website/blog, market your channels, hashtag, and promote social media engagement.

A branded online presence is one of the first steps to a profitable social business plan.

4 Create your content structure

Think about your brand, keywords, and any existing marketing material.  This is going to help you create your content strategy. Some things to consider:

• Create an editorial calendar to include key dates, promotions, events, etc... Map this out over a monthly overview. 
• Brainstorm ideas for content around your key marketing elements. Make a list of topics you want to cover. Integrate the problem you solve, frequently asked questions, and education.  Always include a call-to-action.
• Use text, images, video, audio in your posts. Meet your audience in the format they like, diverse content is the best strategy.

5 Make time to engage, strategize, and measure

Steps 1-4 will help you identify where you should engage. 

You must take a strategic view of your time and resources. Who in your company will be responsible for social media? This can not be a nice to do.  Social media is now a priority.

• Decide who will handle your social media engagement. For most small businesses, this is often the owner. Seek training if you need it.
• Design the strategy and set goals together. Marketing and social media marketing is a company wide effort.  
• Create processes within your strategy. What happens when someone signs up for your email? Checks in at your location? Purchases a product? Make use of automation when possible.
• Be ready. Keep an eye out for social media worthy events, happenings, news, and education. Take photos (get permission when appropriate).

Measure your results.

• Always incorporate a call-to-action. Don’t just assume people will take the next action. Guide them through customer journey.
• Track and Measure. Month over month at the least.
• Additional tracking practices. Use trackable links, Google Analytics, promo codes,  create specific landing pages.

Social media is powerful. If you aren't feeling the power chances are you need to adjust your sails. 

What do you think? Where are you stuck? Comment below, we can help.

Do you need additional help?
We help businesses like yours, get noticed.

We have 3 ways to get started:

1. 15 Min Consultation
2. Social Media Breakthrough
3. Let's Create Your Social Business Plan

Have a great week!
Margaret Brown
Founder, ANROMA - SocializeLA.com

If you have questions please contact the team for assistance.

Contact: 800-279-8922 or connect(@)socializela.com

Twitter/Instagram @margmarieb

Follow Us Instagram/Twitter: @socializela

Facebook.com/socializeLA