The SMART Way to Manage Your Social Media
Like it or not, social media is now a part of our everyday lives. Everyone from the Facebook Maven Grandma to the Tik Tok Tween is spending some part of their day consuming and engaging with shared content. So how do you, the savvy business owner, use this online world to your benefit? To start off, let’s be SMART!
Specific – Which social media platform do we want to use?
Measurable – Which metric are we going to track for results?
Achievable – Set a strong but reasonable goal to hit. If you fall short, it’s ok!
Relevant – Make the content reflect your business. Don’t just join in on a trend.
Time Sensitive – Social media moves fast. If you miss a trend’s peak don’t force it later.
OK! You’ve got some parameters in place. Now let’s get social. You open Instagram and see it’s Pumpkin Spice Season. However, you sell car parts and pumpkin-flavored brake pads aren’t exactly going to be a hit with your consumers. Over on Facebook though you see a news story being shared regarding an early-season winter storm. Perfect! Snow tires, chains, and windshield wipers are all great items a well-prepared winter traveler will need. So, we quickly write up a post, remember you want to strike while the content iron is hot, covering all the winter storm goods you have in stock, and hit the post. Be sure to include a phone number or email address so you can log customers that mention the post.
Let’s recap. You saw a trending story and got your products in front of new and existing customers. It’s reflecting what your company sells and why. Now it’s time to engage. Users may ask questions on the post about a wide variety of topics. Take the time to join in on the conversations. A customer that feels you value them is a much more loyal customer. Even if its news regarding an out-of-stock product or a complaint about the last time they were in the store, a written response back will elicit far greater connections. Be transparent when responding to your customers in these replies. If they want antifreeze but you’re out, apologize and let them know when you will be able to resupply. You have now turned a lost sale into a future sale(s) with a few simple keystrokes.
Want a few more last-minute tips and tricks? Get colorful. Be witty. Use, photographer quality, pictures. Exploit hashtags. Tag larger online presences to piggyback exposure. If your budget allows it, invest in platform calendar software. All of these are cost-effective ways to boost your business’s online presence.
It really is that simple in the end. Be SMART about how you manage your social media presence and everyone from the Groupon Grandpa to the Pinterest Parent will be clicking that Like button.