Social Media Strategy for Business Growth - The Obsidian Co.™

Social Media Strategy for Business Growth

Christos Loizou

Christos Loizou

Founder, CEO &
Marketing Director
3 May, 2023

Social media has become an integral part of businesses today, and having a well-crafted social media strategy is critical for success.

A social media strategy is a plan that outlines how a business will use social media to achieve its goals. It includes everything from the types of content that will be posted to the social media channels that will be used. In this article, we’ll explore the importance of having a social media strategy and provide tips for creating a successful one.

Examples of Successful Social Media Strategies

Several businesses have implemented successful social media strategies that have helped them achieve their goals. For example, Nike’s social media strategy is focused on inspiring and empowering athletes worldwide. They use visually stunning content and collaborate with top athletes to showcase the power of sport. Another example is Glossier, which built a community by using user-generated content and customer feedback to create personalized content and a strong sense of community.

Best Strategy for Social Media

There are many different social media strategies that businesses can use, but not all are created equal. The best strategy for a business depends on its goals, target audience, and resources. One of the most effective strategies is a content-focused approach that provides value to the audience. This can be achieved through educational content, entertainment, or inspirational content that resonates with the audience. To create a successful social media strategy, businesses should also prioritize engagement, authenticity, and consistency.

10 Steps to a Successful Social Media Strategy

Creating a social media strategy can be overwhelming, but breaking it down into ten steps can make it more manageable. These ten steps include:

  1. Set goals and objectives
  2. Understand your target audience
  3. Conduct a social media audit
  4. Research the competition
  5. Determine the best social media channels
  6. Develop a content strategy
  7. Create a social media calendar
  8. Implement the strategy
  9. Monitor and analyze results
  10. Make adjustments as needed

The 7 Cs of Social Media Strategy

A successful social media strategy should address the 7 Cs of social media: Content, Context, Connection, Community, Commerce, Campaigns, and Conversion. Here’s what each of these Cs means and how businesses can apply them to their social media strategy:

Content: What type of content should be created and shared?

The first C in social media strategy is content. It refers to the type of content that businesses should create and share on social media. The content should be relevant to the target audience and align with the brand’s values and goals. It can be in various formats, such as text, images, videos, and infographics.

Context: What’s happening in the world that affects your content?

Context refers to what’s happening in the world that affects the brand’s content. Businesses need to stay up-to-date with the latest news and trends that could impact their audience’s behavior and interests. This allows them to create timely and relevant content that resonates with their audience.

Connection: How do you connect with your audience?

The third C in social media strategy is connection. It’s about how businesses can connect with their audience on social media. Businesses should engage with their audience by responding to comments, messages, and mentions. They can also use social listening tools to monitor conversations around their brand and industry and join relevant conversations.

Community: How do you build a community around your brand?

The fourth C in social media strategy is community. It refers to how businesses can build a community around their brand on social media. Businesses can create groups, host events, and share user-generated content to foster a sense of belonging and loyalty among their audience.

Commerce: How can social media drive sales?

The fifth C in social media strategy is commerce. It’s about how businesses can use social media to drive sales. Social media platforms offer various features, such as shoppable posts, that allow businesses to showcase their products and services and drive traffic to their website or e-commerce platform.

Campaigns: How do you plan and execute social media campaigns?

The sixth C in social media strategy is campaigns. It refers to how businesses can plan and execute social media campaigns. Social media campaigns can help businesses achieve specific goals, such as increasing brand awareness, promoting a new product, or driving website traffic. Businesses should define their goals, target audience, and metrics to measure success when planning a social media campaign.

Conversion: How do you turn followers into customers?

The seventh and final C in social media strategy is conversion. It’s about how businesses can turn their followers into customers. Businesses should use social media to guide their audience through the sales funnel by providing valuable content, building trust, and making it easy for them to make a purchase.

Social Media Advertising

Social media advertising has become an essential component of social media marketing. It is a paid form of digital marketing that involves creating and sharing ads on social media platforms to promote products, services, or brands. Here are some types of social media advertising:

LinkedIn Marketing: LinkedIn is a social networking site for professionals, and it’s an ideal platform for B2B marketing. LinkedIn marketing allows you to target specific industries, job titles, and company sizes.

LinkedIn Advertising: LinkedIn advertising is a form of social media advertising that allows you to create and display ads to LinkedIn users. You can target your ads based on job title, industry, company size, location, and more.

Facebook Ads: Facebook Ads is the most popular social media advertising platform. It offers a wide range of ad formats, including image ads, video ads, carousel ads, and more. Facebook Ads allows you to target specific audiences based on demographics, interests, behaviors, and more.

Instagram Ads: Instagram Ads are similar to Facebook Ads, and they offer a variety of ad formats, including image ads, video ads, and carousel ads. Instagram Ads allows you to target specific audiences based on demographics, interests, behaviors, and more.

Social media advertising can be an effective way to increase brand awareness, generate leads, and drive sales. Here are some tips for creating a successful social media advertising campaign:

Define your objectives: Before creating an ad campaign, you should define your objectives. What do you want to achieve with your ads? Do you want to increase brand awareness, generate leads, or drive sales?

Target the right audience: To get the most out of your ad campaign, you need to target the right audience. Social media platforms offer various targeting options, so make sure to choose the right ones for your campaign.

Use eye-catching visuals: The visual aspect of your ads is crucial. Make sure to use eye-catching visuals that grab the audience’s attention and communicate your message effectively.

Write compelling copy: The copy of your ad should be compelling and persuasive. It should convey your message clearly and concisely and encourage users to take action.

Test and optimize: Testing and optimizing your ad campaign is essential to its success. Test different ad formats, visuals, copy, and targeting options to see what works best, and optimize your campaign accordingly.

Social Media Audit

A social media audit is the process of reviewing and evaluating your social media presence to identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement. Here’s why a social media audit is important:

It helps you understand your audience: A social media audit can provide valuable insights into your audience’s demographics, interests, behaviors, and preferences.

It identifies areas for improvement: By reviewing your social media presence, you can identify areas that need improvement, such as low engagement, inconsistent branding, or ineffective content.

It helps you stay on top of trends: A social media audit can help you stay on top of the latest trends and best practices in social media marketing.

Here are some tips for conducting a social media audit effectively:

  • Review your profiles: Review your social media profiles to ensure that they are up to date, consistent, and engaging.
  • Analyze your performance: Analyze your social media performance by looking at metrics such as engagement, reach, and conversions.
  • Evaluate your content: Evaluate your social media content to ensure that it aligns with your brand, is high quality, and engages your audience.
  • Assess your competition: Assess your competitors’ social media presence to identify areas where you can improve and differentiate yourself.

Conclusion

In conclusion, having a solid social media strategy is crucial for any business looking to achieve growth, increase brand awareness, and generate leads. By following the steps outlined in this article, businesses can create an effective social media strategy that aligns with their overall business goals.

As a digital marketing agency shortlisted in the Global Social Media Awards 2023, The Obsidian Co. has the expertise to help businesses of all sizes develop and implement successful social media strategies. Our team of experienced professionals can conduct a thorough social media audit, create engaging content, and execute effective social media campaigns to drive business growth and increase revenue.

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to take your business to the next level with the power of social media. Contact us at The Obsidian Co. today to learn more about our services and how we can help your business thrive in the digital age

FAQS

Examples of social media strategies include content creation, influencer marketing, social listening, social media advertising, and community building.

The best strategy for social media depends on the business’s goals and target audience. However, a combination of organic and paid strategies is usually effective.

The 10 steps to a successful social media strategy include: defining goals, identifying the target audience, conducting a social media audit, choosing the right channels, creating a content strategy, developing a posting schedule, engaging with the audience, monitoring and measuring results, adjusting the strategy as needed, and staying up-to-date on industry trends.

The 7 Cs of social media strategy are:

content

context

connection

community

commerce

campaigns

and conversion.

These elements help businesses create effective social media strategies that engage and convert their target audience.

Our team of experts can help you create and implement a strategy that drives real results. Whether you need help with content creation, community building, social media advertising or all the above, we’re here to help. Book a call with us today to learn more about how we can help take your social media strategy to the next level.

Let a global award-winning agency create your next Social Media Strategy!