Boost Your Social Media Game

Social Media Strategy: Why It Matters and How to Get Started

• The National Institute for Social Media and Online Marketing Certified Professionals provide certification for marketing and digital professionals globally.

• Social media strategy is important for success and growth of a brand, as it provides a blueprint for implementation.

• Global data shows that approximately 5 billion people are active on social media, and the amount of time spent on social media is increasing.

• Social media is not just for personal use, it is also essential for businesses to reach more people and level out the playing field for small organizations or non-profits.

• Listening, sales, marketing, customer service, and human resources are some of the ways businesses can use social media to achieve their goals.

• People use social media not only to keep in touch with friends and family but also for news, inspiration, and purchasing products.

• Social media can provide social proof, drive website traffic, increase SEO, and create new opportunities for engagement.

• By humanizing the brand and sharing stories, social media can increase customer loyalty and connect with potential and current customers.

• To get started with social media strategy, businesses need to identify their business goals and set SMART social media goals.

• SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

• Tactics, such as posting on Facebook, should be based on the social media goals and aligned with the business objectives.

• It is important to track and measure the success of social media strategy and adjust accordingly to continuously improve.Key Elements of Social Media Strategy

• A SMART goal should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.

• Measurable, time-bound, and relevant are the most frequently left out elements of a SMART goal.

• Understanding the organization's goals is crucial to creating SMART goals.

• Splash is a shoe company that wants to grow within the mainstream and water athlete markets, and SMART goals should support both objectives.

• Key performance objectives (KPIs) should be specific and measurable, and progress should be monitored regularly.

• Understanding the audience is essential to developing a social media strategy.

• Audience segmentation should be clear and specific to make it easier to identify the target group.

• Choosing the right platform depends on the audience, the type of content, and the dominant platform in the industry.

• Prioritization is crucial in social media strategy, considering time, physical technologies, human capital, budget, and multimedia devices.

• All social media is paid, even if not paid for ads, as it involves resources, human capital, and assets.

• Personal branding is essential, especially for freelancers, and social media can be a vital tool for connecting with others.

• Social media strategy should start with goals and objectives, followed by audience understanding, resource allocation, and tactical implementation.Tips for Effective Social Media Strategy

• It's important to filter out random feedback by targeting the right audience and platform.

• Monitoring engagement and experimenting with what does better is helpful to improve social media strategy.

• Engagement can vary depending on the type of content shared.

• Sharing content that resonates with people is more important than sharing just any content.

• It's important to measure success towards SMART goals and KPIs in order to adjust the strategic plan.

• The National Institute for Social Media offers a Social Media Strategy Certification covering six main areas.

• The six areas covered in the certification are strategic planning, compliance and governance, ethics, marketing communications, project and campaign management, and research and analysis.

• The National Institute for Social Media offers a scholarship for the certification which is due on May 15th.

• The scholarship is usually partial and ranges from 25% to 90% of the preparation package or exam option.

• The certification and scholarship are beneficial for students and professionals looking to improve their social media strategy.

• The key to effective social media strategy is to have a tactical approach and consistently measure and adjust.

• AMA Pittsburgh and the National Institute for Social Media are great collaborators and partners in promoting effective social media strategy.