New Year Resolution for your Business !

With each January comes the opportunity to start off the New Year with energy and a few new year resolutions.  While we might think about exercising more and eating healthily, what about a new year resolution for our business?

Get the strategy right

‘If you don’t write it down, it is a wish and not a plan’ a wise person said somewhere along the line.  They were right, we need to formulate a plan when it comes to achieving social media success.

How do you develop and implement a social media strategy? 

1. Research your target audience

Decide what audience you want to attract.  Although most people can probably buy from you, you will find that your typical (ideal) customer will be similar in age, interests and behaviour. When you know who the audience is, you will know what social media channels to concentrate on. You will also know what message you should be creating to entice them to learn more about you.

2. Set some goals

You have to have some goals, otherwise how will you know what to aim for?  Your goals should be SMART, Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timely.  So, aim for a goal you can measure and achieve.  An example may be ‘To sell 6 places on my training course next month’.

3. Establish metrics

What you measure will depend on what is important to you.  Perhaps visits to your website, additional followers, sign ups to your newsletter, enquiries, new client sign ups and money in the bank.

4. Look at your competitors

You should be keeping a close eye on what your competitors are doing.  You do not have to copy them, but you can learn about what you have to compete with, you can be inspired or you can see how much better you are doing.

5. Create great content

When you know your audience, you will know what motivates them.  Create great content that will help them connect with your brand.  The content will move them along the sales funnel and help you achieve your goals.

6. Plan activity that is consistent

A customer will need several touch points before they complete the sale.  Your followers may take some time to convert to customers, so you need to be consistent.  Have a presence on your chosen platform and ensuring you are posting relevant content regularly.

7. Optimise, measure, improve

Optimise your presence online and then start sharing.  By monitoring the success of your social media activity, you will learn what is working well for you.  If something is going well and you are generating the right results, then do more of it.  If you find you are not achieving your goals, then you need to think how you can improve what you are doing.

This new year could be the one you were waiting on, plan for success and see where it will lead you.