Social Media Strategy in Inbound Marketing

Today, we are immersed in a time when the consumer is hyper-informed. And besides being informed, consumers like to share their experiences - both good and bad. This presents a tough spot for brands as consumer expectations and demands are higher than ever.

Don't panic - this doesn't have to be seen as something negative, in fact, quite the opposite. Because consumers are more demanding, your brands must simply work harder to find content that is really attractive and relevant to your target audience. 

A great understanding and proper management of social networks is essential to meet and exceed your audience's expectations, especially within an Inbound Marketing Strategy where every aspect of your strategy serves to attract and pull leads in. It is vital that the content on social networks, your website, and blog accompanies the client throughout the entire process with your brand.

Social Media will help you create and strengthen the link between your brand and customers. Beyond the image and tone of voice, which must be aligned with your market positioning, you need to build your Social Media Strategy on a solid foundation. These are the 5 most important points: 

1. Actively listen to your audience on Social Media

Before carrying out any action on your social networks, it is important that you pay attention to your customer base and current audience. You should deeply know and understand your Buyer Personas. Many times, we assume that we know what they want from us, but this is an error. Listen to their comments, complaints, even strike up a conversation with them via personal interviews or a Facebook chatbot. This will create an active relationship with visitors and leads. 

Did you know that active listening is part of our mbudo method?

2. Stick to your unique specialization

Look for topics that you feel comfortable writing about and that your brand has expertise in. You also need to bring something new to consumers, not simply repeat the same trends that are already in the market. What's your unique value proposition? Your brand needs to differentiate itself from the rest in order to resonate strongly with potential customers. 

Above all, stick to your specialization. If you try go a lot further than that, your audience will be able to tell that you're out of your depth and you'll risk losing engaged followers. On social media, you want to share only what you do best.Remember, all content should add value and hinge on certain emotions you want to generate in potential customers; it doesn't work to simply publish a large quantity of posts. 

3. Patience is a virtue in Social Media Strategy

Do not expect that your accounts to have a spectacular impact overnight. It takes time to build a valuable online community that goes beyond number of likes and followers. It is worth waiting and putting in the effort to build a quality community. 

You have the recipe: Post the right content. Reach out to people who comment. Mention potential accounts that might like to share your content. Participate in specialized forums and groups. Respond to questions and concerns as quickly as possible. Publish relevant third-party content. Mix and match your strategy until you find the right combination. It takes a lot of trial and error, but it will pay off in the end. 

4. Be daring when choosing social channels

There are many digital platforms and tools that you can use. Don't be afraid to try new channels like Snapchat, Tik Tok, and Instagram Stories in addition to tried and true methods like Facebook, Twitter, and Account Based Marketing. The important thing is that you adjust your content for each channel; ideally, you should be posting different things on different social channels. You can use various content formats on your social networks to make what you want to convey more attractive, for example infographics, videos, polls or surveys, contests, and more!

5. Establish and Measure Social Media KPIs

KPI is the abbreviation for “Key Performance Indicator". It is a quantifiable measure that allows us to evaluate the success of an organization, employee or project according to previously set objectives. Remember that these objectives must be SMART: specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and temporary.

And why are KPIs so important for your brand?

They allow you to strictly monitor actions and quantify your success. In addition, they help you to diagnose the current situation of your company and then communicate and report on it. Thanks to KPIs, you can make the most appropriate decisions to improve your efficiency and productivity. Below, discover what measures you need to take into account.

KPI #1: Reach

The objective is to develop the visibility of your brand or product on the internet and social networks. It consists of determining how many people receive your messages.

Some examples of Reach (also called Scope) that you should consider are:

• Number of Impressions: The number of times a message (article or post) had the opportunity to be seen and to impact an Internet user.
• Mentions of your brand.
• “Share of voice”: How many people are talking about your brand with respect to the competition

KPI #2: Engagement

Engagement KPIs determine how many people take action after receiving your message. 

Some engagement KPIs are:

There are many more KPIs you can take into account for your socia strategy if you want to delve even deeper.

The needs of each brand are different but these 5 points are common for almost any type of company. As you have seen, it is important to be aware of the need for a Social Media Strategy within your Content Marketing Strategy or Inbound Marketing Strategy before carrying out any action. Remember, your reputation as a brand is one the line...

Need help with your strategy? Contact mbudo!