3 Quick Social Media Campaign Steps to Revive your Stagnant Strategy
By Hallie Moser
Every once in a while at Pinckney Marketing we have #TakeoverThursday, where one of our very own coworkers takes over our Instagram account to show what a day in our (work) life is like. My turn was in September and…it was harder than it looked. I finished the day at 4pm and was shocked that, after what seemed like a lot of effort, I had only posted 4 times all day!
Just like my #TakeoverThursday, social media campaigns often get underestimated. They get pushed in the corner, dusty while you handle the ‘important’ tasks like SEO, eBlasts, revisions etc. That is, until you take a look at your profile and notice your ratings are down, your engagement ceases to exist, and your campaign is tanking. Now, what?
Everyone knows a successful social media campaign relies on consistent postings, interesting content, and engagement with followers; but how do you get back on the horse after dropping the social media ball?
These quick tips are exactly what you need to revive your strategy today:
Audit Channels and Plan
You can’t fix a problem you don’t understand. The first step of revival is to audit your channels and campaigns. Think of your current business goals. Are you trying to gain awareness, promote a special service, or increase engagement with your followers?
In the #TakeoverThursday example, it’s clear I didn’t have a plan for my postings. My idea was to be organic; post when I thought I had something interesting happening, which didn’t workout. Why? Because interesting, hilarious things don’t always happen when you have your phone. You get caught up in your day and put social media on the backburner. This is why preplanning is so important.
Instead, if I focused my goals (raise awareness and engagement of Pinckney staff and our followers) and planned to post 8 times throughout the day. I could have a schedule written out with posting times and even drafts of my posts.
Because my day follows a pattern, I could plan to have designated times and templates for my posts such as start, lunch, mid-meeting, desk shot, etc.
In your business this same application can be used. Use tools like Google Sheets and Buffer.com to schedule your posts ahead of time, so that if you get busy you will still be consistently posting.
Include drafts of posts you think will be relevant in your campaign (like the winner of a contest) for fast posting during the chaos of the day-to-day grind.
Engage like a Human
Our community craves candor. We want to see vulnerability and not feel like we’re constantly being “sold” something. This is why live video is becoming increasingly popular. People want to buy from people, not businesses.
The social media community is all about creating conversations and connecting with others. If someone comments on your post make sure you atleast have someone in charge of responding,
Also, keep in mind it’s easy, especially when you have high engagement, to sound robotic in your replies, but putting some thought into your responses on an individual basis will make your followers feel most optimized.
Build Links in the Web
Just as I said above, social media creates conversation and connects information. When Google scores your website (hint – your ranking) it’s judging you on your popularity, and how reputable of a source you are.
One way to show that you know what you’re talking about is to have sources and links to back you up. Linking to other businesses and resources in your industry is a great way to increase your web reach and overall media strategy.
In social media, you can revive your strategy by reaching out to individual or business influencers in your industry. It can also shake up your content with guest bloggers that can add personal variety!
Doing these three things will prove to be very helpful in waking up your strategy! Download our free Social Planning Template for help with enhancing your social media presence.