Why a social media strategy is important

Why a social media strategy is important

Building content pillars for easy planning

Don’t just have a social media presence, create a plan that will bring success. In this post, we’ll talk about why having a social media strategy is important, In the last decade, the use of social media has gone from 970 million users in 2010 to more than 4.5 billion in July of 2021. Wow! That’s a huge increase.

From startups and small businesses to mid-size and large corporations, nearly every established company today has a social media presence on one or more platforms. 

If you’ve questioned whether spending more resources (both time and money) on social media is a valuable part of your company’s growth, the answer is YES! 

Here’s why: 

• 55% of consumers learn about brands or companies on social 
• 43% of consumers increased their social media use to discover new products 
• 78% of consumers are willing to buy from a company after having a positive experience with them on social

Stats 2021 from Sprout Social 

These numbers just confirm how much the everyday consumer has evolved throughout the years. As more and more of the world shifts to a digital presence, these numbers are expected to increase significantly in the next several years. So if your company is not on social media, now is the time. 

Facebook or Instagram?

LinkedIn or Pinterest?

We get it. We felt uncertain a few times too. With so many options, deciding which platforms are a good fit is hard. Check out our rundown of a few of the big social media channels here for a little more insight into some of the big ones. 

OK. Now if you’ve already decided which channels you’d like to be on, where do you start? What do you post? How do you know if you’re moving that needle? 

More overwhelming questions that many companies still struggle to answer. But you, my friend, do not have to struggle.

What you should know when launching a social media profile

In a nutshell here are some things to remember: 

Post with purpose

How often you post, although important, isn’t as important as what you post. Providing valuable content for your audience is what gets them to engage with your brand. And in today’s fast-paced world, you have 3 seconds to grab someone’s attention on social media before they move on. 

Be consistent 

Depending on which social media channel we’re talking about, it’s a good general rule to post at least 3–4 times a week. Not only does not posting consistently bump you to the bottom of the algorithm, but it leaves your audience (new and old) unaware of what to expect from you and when. 

Be open-minded

We live in a digital world—a place where the internet never sleeps. It is always changing, always evolving, always keeping us on our toes. Phew, just thinking about it can be overwhelming. Especially for businesses that don’t have a dedicated social media employee solely focused on keeping everything up-to-date and relevant while still providing value. 

Now that you know why you should be on social and what your focus should be, you’re probably a little more overwhelmed on what to post, right? 

Don’t worry, we can help you figure that out. But simply put, have a plan in place when posting.  

What is a social media strategy and why is it important? 

Well, we’re glad you asked. 

A social media strategy summarizes your social media goals and how you expect to achieve them. This helps you and your team determine what types of results measure success. A strategy guides your actions to achieve your goals. 

Having a plan in place helps you grow. A well-thought-out strategy will: 

• Save you time 

Have you been overwhelmed and scrambling to post something on your social media? Yeah. We get it. Having a plan in place means you don’t have to think about it while literally in the moment. 

• Strengthen your message 

Sharing your story gives others the chance to get to know you. When you consistently share your why and your how you draw people in. Plus it’s more likely to be remembered. Repetition is key. 

• Build credibility
  When your audience sees valuable content posted consistently, it adds credibility. They think, “Hey, these guys have their stuff together. They have a plan, a system that works. They could be a good resource for (insert your service/product here).” Viola! You’ve just opened the door to a potential customer. We all love a good lead. 

Now… What to post

How to define your company’s content pillars for a successful social media strategy

What is a content pillar? 

In the social media world, content pillars are topics that guide your brand’s social media posts. It’s organized themes that shape your brand. Generally, we suggest having 3–5 pillars or content buckets.

Here are some questions to ask yourself when brainstorming your pillars.

1. What are my brand values? 
2. What am I trying to accomplish? 
3. What are my short-term goals? 
4. What problem am I trying to solve for my customers? 
5. What is something that is important to me that I want my customers to know about? 

Once you’ve answered these questions, build a base of 3–5 topics that help define the answers to those questions. 

For example, for a business that is in the food & beverage industry, these pillars can be: 

• Behind-the-scenes content: How your brand tests out a new flavor 
• Employee/department highlights: A Q&A of your factory line workers 
• Brand promotion: Sharing info on where you source your sauce’s ingredients 

Then you can repeat this content every week and pepper in some special one-off posts.

Still not sure where to begin? Let’s connect. Reach out here.