Page 12 - Engage -- no.11 -- Winter 2018
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Winter 2018
s etting up and maintaining a successful social media system doesn’t have to
be painful. In fact, it can be exciting and manageable—if you simplify and use a step-by-step approach. It’s important to avoid wasting time and resources on the back end that may never contribute to the success of your social media strategy on the front end— do your due diligence!
WHICH Platforms?
Decide which platform(s) make sense for you to have a social presence on. (Hint: it’s not going to be all of them.) You didn’t hear it here first, but it’s
worth repeating—opening an account and leaving it inactive is more harmful to your brand than helpful. The key is to go where your audience hangs out. If you’re visually focused, assess your ability
to maintain an Instagram or Pinterest account. If your main goal is to inform and advise, you should consider Twitter and LinkedIn. Facebook is the best place to build an off-site home base.
Know Your WHY
Ask the questions: Why should I maintain this platform’s presence? What do I hope to gain from it? By doing this, you’re identifying your goals. It’s very important to share these with others at your
company, especially if employees or management will be actively involved in your key social platforms. According to the State of Social Media 2016 Report (Buffer), 85 percent of businesses said they use social media to create brand awareness, 71 percent use it to foster community engagement, 61 percent use it for content distribution, 54 percent use it
for sales and lead generation, and 21 percent have some form of customer support on social media.
PRO TIP from Emily
If I’m working on building brand awareness through content distribution and using social media as a potential traffic source or referral system, these are
FEATURE
Set Up, Automate, and Communicate:
ESTABLISHING YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE
Emily Drewry, Forbes Social Content Manager and business social media expert, emphasizes these key points when she talks social media setup with clients.
