Social media can be overwhelming, especially for a small business or start-up. The social landscape is constantly changing. New platforms are coming out constantly. Facebook and Twitter are still the huge leaders, but other outlets such as Instagram and LinkedIn are coming in closer to the top.
Each social media site has rules and regulations that need to be followed. It is not as simple as copy and paste across all platforms. Your audience is different as well. It can be hard to understand, how to increase your followers, tweets, and likes. Intuit has put together a year-long social media communication plan that will ensure success for both the experienced “hash-tagger” and neophyte.
January - Assess your current social media:.establish where you are and where you want to be in the future.
February - Review your goals.Is everyone is on the same page, as to why you are using social media? 78% of companies use social media to connect with their customers and increase their engagement.
March - Establish your metrics for success. Start with your first measurement-a goal for number of followers/month.. Once you have reached that goal, move to your next.
April - Be a good listener. Make sure to keep up on “mentions” about your company and industry. Address them in a timely manner for the best result!
May - Try something new. Don’t get stuck in a rut by posting the same things over and over again. Try hosting a contest or a giveaway. This is sure to keep your customers engaged and build a stronger bond.
June - Establish a protocol. It is very important to have ground rules on how to respond to social media comments. Some comments may not be the most positive.. Create a system for all your customer feedback.
July - Integrate all your social media sites into one system. Having all of your assets managed in one place is especially important for smaller businesses.
August - Keep integrating! Try to engage your users with a refer a friend program. You can even reach out to journalists with your social media sites to grab their attention.
September - Integrate, round 3. It is time to involve your other team members. Social media can be a huge undertaking. If only one team member is trained on social media no one will be ready to cover their spot when they are sick or on vacation.
October - Evaluate the last 9 months. Establishing a social media presence can be extremely hard. Take this month to look back on your posts and really evaluate what did and did not work.
November - Celebrate your successes. What social media campaigns to you want to repeat for next year?
December - Look to the future! Intuit gives us 7 top areas. Try picking four and focus on these four areas during the first quarter of the new year.
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