5 Ways to Define a Small Business Social Media Action Plan

Social media marketing provides resource-strapped small businesses an affordable opportunity to cultivate an online community, solidify brand-building and increase lead generation. 

When it comes to choosing which social media platforms to utilize, select those that offer the best potential for reaching your ideal audience, and -- because everyone uses social media differently -- ensure that some time was spent defining your target audience so that your approach aligns with your overall marketing goals. 

Here's a closer look at how to determine where to invest your time:

Keep up with the competition: Where is your competition, what message are they conveying and what platforms are they using? Focus on engagement instead of the total number of followers.

Identify your customer: Again, this is one of the most important factors when deciding on a social network. The age demographic of your customer may also play a role in your decision-making.

Determine the want: After clearly identifying your customer, ensure you uncover what is driving them to consider your product and figure out the best way to deliver your information to them.

Keep it simple: Don't add to the noise in an already cluttered content space. Your material should continue to provide value so that your audience won't tune any information out.

Remember that numbers never lie: Social media traffic numbers to your website are also an important metric to monitor. When ramping up activity on a new platform monitor this number closely and make any adjustments that are necessary.

PR Newswire