Are you using the right social media platforms for YOU?
Social Media (SoMe) is such a cost-effective and powerful too for Solo Pros that it’s a Must-Have for your marketing toolkit, but are you using it correctly? Are you overwhelmed by all the options? Does the very thought of Social Media cause you to freeze up?
Never fear. This seven step ‘audit’ will get your Social Media marketing machine optimized and ready to tackle a new year.
- Plan. What do you accomplish by using social media? More clients? More sales? More collaborative partners? Having clear goals is essential to plan your social media marketing strategy for the upcoming year. Take a look at what you did last year and ask: What worked? What failed? What do you want to change? Which social media site worked best for you? How did your presence grow? Which site sent you the most traffic? How much in sales? Which site gave you the most engagement or in-coming leads? Make your goals as specific as you can – and attach an emotional ‘why’ to them.
- Niche. Are you attracting the right people as followers? Are you following the right people and liking the right pages and belonging to the right groups? Do you have an easy way to keep up with the right tribes for your business?
- Channels. Do you have your ezine or email newsletter, your blog, your YouTube channel, your Slideshare account, and other social media outlets connected to your primary social networking accounts? Can you share what’s happening on one social media site on another? Do you have an easy way for your blog readers, ezine subscribers, or web site visitors to follow you on various social media platforms? Do you regularly add videos or slideshows to your social media profiles?
- Profiles. Are you profiles up-to-date and complete? Do they currently reflect what you do and who you work with? Does your marketing message clearly define the results of hiring you? Are you sending visitors to your primary web site, or do you have a profile landing page specifically designed for those visitors? )For example, if you’re a consultant who specializes in working with both accountants and financial planners, you should have a profile page for both target markets, including two different business pages on Facebook.) Do you have a current and professional head shot?
- Engagement. How often do you send out status updates? Are they automated or live? Is there a good mix of valuable content to promotions? Are you posting when your followers are likely to read your updates? How about reposting useful posts? Do you give your followers recognition for their accomplishments or acknowledge completed projects? Do you provide easy ways for followers to repost and share your content? Are your followers reposting and sharing your content?
- Management. Do you have in place a system or tool that helps you monitor what others are saying about you, your company, and your brand in social media? Staying on top of all mentions of your company in the social media sphere will help you head off negative issues before they arise. (Google alerts is easy. Also check out Social Oomph).
- Time. How much time are you spending on social media each week? Do you need to increase or decrease that amount? Are there portions of your strategy that you can outsource? If so, how is that working out?
You’re welcome to use this article, I just ask that you be sure to keep the author’s info with it and please link to our website.
Author Info: Barbara Saunders is a publication designer and has run a successful solo pro business for more than a decade. She is the Solo Pro Success Coach and the Director of the International Association of Self-Employed Communication Professionals and the Solo Pro Academy. She also hosts the Solo Pro Radio show everyday at 10am Pacific and 1pm Eastern It’s our mission to build community and help creative solo pros build and run successful businesses by providing support, innovation, tools, and strategies. Our goal is to liberate our members from the feast and famine cycle.
