The 5 W’S Of Your Social Media Campaign

One of the first things we see out of small business owners is the creation of a Facebook business page. It’s quick, simple to set up, but extremely difficult to run effectively. Why is a social media campaign one of the first things business owners try to implement? And why do so many businesses have such a difficult time running an effective social media campaign?

The 3 Laws

1) Website First

The biggest mistake we see is when a business owner jumps into a social media campaign before all their ducks are in a row. First things first, ensure you have a great website. The purpose of your social media campaign is to drive traffic to your site. Business owners shouldn’t even consider a social media campaign prior to developing their site. First, ensure your site is operating properly and optimized for conversion. Once your website is optimized, you’ll reap the rewards of your effective social media campaign.

2) Don’t Sell Over Social Media

Secondly, stop, *please* stop trying to sell over social media. Learn and remember the golden rule. Don’t sell over social media. Social media is not where we sell, it’s where we connect. Stay engaged with our customers during your social media marketing campaign. Provide followers with valuable content. Establish your industry expertise. Don’t sell, drive traffic to your website for the sale.

3) Know Your 5 W’s

The third law, know your 5 W’s. You wouldn’t start a business without a meticulously thought out business plan would you? The same steps need to be taken when developing your social media campaign.

HAVE A PLAN FOR SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING: THE 5 W’S

Why?

First, why? “Why am I running a social media campaign? What goals do I have?” Social media campaigns create the opportunity to connect with your customers and showcase your brands personality. All the while keeping your audience informed with regard to your products and services. Engage them in discussion

Social media is just a big social mixer. It’s a way to get to know your customer and kindle a longstanding relationship, while simultaneously reaching out to their friends with similar interests.

When considering your social media campaign, ask yourself why. Why do you think a social media campaign will improve your bottom line? Is it to build a loyal following? To keep your consumers informed? Or is it to provide fast and efficient customer service? Your answer will likely be a combination. Establish the why of your social media campaign so we can find the who.

Who?

The second W of your social media campaign, the who. Who is your target audience? As a business owner, it’s reasonable to assume you have already studied your market in depth.

When you developed your business plan, who did you establish as your primary market? What about secondary markets? Who’s going to be interested in your product or services? If you’ve been in business for any period of time, you probably have a pretty good idea of your target demographic. Keep your market in mind when developing your social media campaign.

Where?

With the who established, consider the platform you’ll use to reach your audience. Nearly every business, small and large has a Facebook page. Facebook barely scratches the surface of social media. There’s countless channels that often prove much more effective for your social media campaign.

Each platform has a unique user base, and its own unique environment. Analyze the different platforms available. Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Youtube, LinkedIn, Reddit, Tumblr – they each bring a unique opportunity to the table. Consider the types of users that each platform tends to draw. These statistics can assist you in narrowing down the most effective platform for your social media campaign. 44% of LinkedIn users make over 75K a year, 80% of Pinterest’s users are female, 53% of 18 to 29 year olds are on Instagram. There’s plenty of insight available to aid you in narrowing down your most effective channel¹

Demographics shouldn’t be the sole factor when picking your most effective platform for your social media campaign. Consider your market. Which one of these platforms is the best medium to showcase your products and services? For example, A boutique shop specializing in fashion and trends would benefit the most from a visual campaign.

Instagram is a fantastic platform for sharing new and trending fashion. Pinterest is dominated by infographics and quick help tutorials. A wedding planner can highlight their talents. Create a tutorial for centerpieces to knock your followers wedding decor out of the park. These social media campaign strategies provide value for your followers, build rapport, and establish your expertise within the industry.

When?

When is often overlooked, and possibly the simplest aspect of your social media campaign. As social media continues to evolve, it’s becoming even easier to find insights and feedback on your current strategy. Effective social media campaigns utilize insights to see when their audience is online. Analyzing peak times, and aligning your efforts will give a massive boost to user engagement . You work too hard putting together social media marketing content to launch it into a cyber abyss.

Some social media platforms have yet to realize the benefit in providing an optimized experience for the business owner. In these cases, studying other platform’s social media marketing trends can provide analytics about your customer. While your campaign progresses, keep an eye on your previous posts. Which posts have generated the most interaction? What time of day was it? Don’t dwindle your social media marketing efforts by posting during a lull.

What?

The 5th and most important W of your social media campaign. The what. What can be the most difficult, and easily the most time consuming element of your social media campaign if you’re not careful. You know the why, who, where, and when. Now we engage your followers.

Before creating content, make a list. Analyze your customer, what similar hobbies might they have that are relevant to the goods or services you offer. If you sell fishing tackle, the first topic to discuss can be obvious. Share and create articles with jigging tips. Keep followers informed about your newest gear and why it’s a game changer. Providing articles of this nature builds a loyal following.

There will be points where your social media marketing efforts can’t seem to create any engagement. Break out that list. What other hobbies do your followers have, if they enjoy fishing, wouldn’t it be likely they also probably enjoy hunting, hiking, or boating? Posting articles and sharing information about similar topics can be an incredibly effective in social media marketing. What’s to say that fisherman doesn’t have a friend who is an avid goose hunter, who could be tempted into pick up a fishing pole? This change of pace not only generates new followers, it also keeps your active following engaged.

Optimize your posts. They say a picture’s worth a thousand words. Visuals drive your social media campaign. Again, consider the medium being used. What other posts within the platform are performing well? Are they infographics, a mix of text and visuals, or simple standalone pictures?

There’ll be points where your social media marketing efforts can’t seem to create any engagement. It’s time to break out that list. What other hobbies do your followers have? If they enjoy fishing, wouldn’t it be likely they also probably enjoy hunting, hiking, or boating? Posting articles and sharing information about similar topics can be an incredibly effective for drumming up new users. What’s to say that fisherman doesn’t have a friend who is an avid goose hunter? I’d bet he could be tempted into picking up a fishing pole. Changing up content not only keeps your followers engaged, it also creates new ones.

Don’t Sell Over Social Media

Did I say that already? We are exposed to anywhere from 3,000 to 20,000 advertisements every day, and we aren’t as oblivious as we once were. If it seems like your pushing products, your follower’s scrolling once again. They’re finding posts of interest that aren’t looking to get into their wallet.

Social media is incredibly competitive and becoming even more so by the day. Gary Vaynerchuk, dubbed by some The King of Social Media, has dedicated the entire book “Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook” to these practices. He strains the importance of keeping the sale off social media. The title, “Jab, Jab, Jab” references the quality content you share followers find useful. Quality content provides value for your reader. Valuable content encourages repeat interaction, keeping your posts in your follower’s feed. Once they’ve been set up with the jab, throw your knockout right hook and convert your dedicated follower. Your right hook is the infrequent post containing a link to your website, encouraging followers to convert.

Creating A Successful Social Media Campaign

1) Use social media for its intended purposes. Don’t invest your time and efforts in a social media marketing strategy without a quality website. Convert followers on your website, not social media.

2) Have A Plan. Understand how you intend to use your social media campaign. How will social media create a return on your investment?

3) Know Your Customers. Who they are, where they are, and when they’re there. Understand the demographics of your customer and know how to find them.

4) Provide Value. In a competitive environment such as social media, it’s important to distinguish yourself. We tune out advertisements, show your audience you genuinely care. Provide them with content of interest and benefit.

5) Optimize. Ensure your reader is able to convert via your right hook. Make sure your website is optimized for conversion.

6) Don’t sell over social media.