Everyone can launch a social media campaign, it’s like super easy. It just consists of some posts, maybe a few ads, throw up a story or two, and poof…you’re cruising. If only it were that simple, to be clear…it’s definitely not. You’re not the Kardashians with millions of followers and a super engaged audience.
As a business, using social media to your advantage is critical, but do you know how to maximize the impact of your social media marketing campaigns? Do you know what your goals should be and how to achieve them?
If you’re looking for practical advice and steps you can take to creating and launch a social media campaign, then read on.
Goals, they’re really important.
It astounds us that people act first and think later – before you launch anything, you gotta ask yourself “what are we hoping to achieve?”
Is it product sales? Brand awareness?
Whatever it is, set SMART goals – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound.
Do your homework.
Wouldn’t it be a huge bummer if you came up with a great social media campaign, got the budget approved, the audiences defined, and the creatives made only to launch your campaign, and see that your biggest competitor did the exact same thing a year ago? Yeah, it would be. Make sure you do some research first– this is going to help you not only see what’s already been done but how to do it better. It also helps you deliver a more unique, original campaign that will stand out from others.
Follow the experts, SproutSocial outlines several resources here.
Know who you’re trying to reach.
This seems like a no-brainer, and if you’re already in the marketing world, you probably audibly said “Duh.” But hey, there’s a chance someone reading this isn’t as savvy as you, so shh. If you’re looking for a bit of guidance here are a few things you should know about the audience you’re trying to reach:
- Target Audience
- Age
- Gender
- Location
- Interests
- Social Media Platform
- This is easier to drill down once you’ve identified the demographics of your target audience. For example, if you’re a skincare brand looking to target Gen Z users between the ages of 18-22, Instagram and Tik Tok will be your choice platforms.
Figure out your strategy to achieve your goals
Yeah, another no-brainer. But strategy can be a b*tch and requires some out-of-the-box thinking, or thinking from someone in the box already who has working experience in curating campaigns before. Hi, it’s us.
A few examples of strategy are:
- Trying to gain more followers
- Run a giveaway that requires the participants to tag friends and follow your feed.
- Build your email list
- Entice people who see your ad to register for your email list with a promotional discount or free download.
- Generate revenue
- Offer a promotional discount or freebie
Ultimately, your goal is going to drive your strategy and there are so many creative, engaging ways to build one!
Know how to measure success
Know what metrics you’re tracking and track them. If you’re growing your following count, watch those numbers rise (or not rise, eek). If you’re looking for more revenue make sure you’re tracking referrals and conversions, or that you have someone on your team who can!
Make that sh*t beautiful (or cool, or sophisticated, or whatever your brand is.)
Once you’ve identified all of the above, it’s time to start developing content.
- Make sure it’s visually compelling and give your audience a reason to take action.
- Make sure it tells the story you’re trying to tell. Stay true to your brand’s tone and voice.
- Don’t bog down your imagery with a bunch of typography squeezed into one image, it looks BAD.
Schedule your campaign and let it do its thing
Yeah, it’s time. You’ve got it all figured out, for now, so let it live! You got this.
Another piece of advice, if you’re not launching ads through Google or Facebook (and you should have a mix of paid and organic) and relying solely on organic results throughout a specific course of time– a scheduling platform will be your best friend.
That’s it, you’re done!
If all went well, this is the fun part. You get to measure your results, see what the ROI was, and then tell your client or boss what a great job you did! Go you.
And if it didn’t go as well, take what you learned and try again, but differently. It’s all about making adjustments and testing out different approaches, copy, graphics, etc.
Social media is a beast and there are so many nuances and tricks, you’ll never figure it all out. Rely on experts where you can.
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