Social Media Takeover

November 25, 2015

From big name brands to your local coffee shop down the street, everyone is on social media these days. Apps like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook have made it so much easier to reach the community and market your brand. When it comes to social media marketing, some companies take the “build it and they will come” mentality, but the truth is, it isn’t always that simple. Building your social media content and following can be somewhat of a time consuming task, but it’s important to run it like a well-oiled machine. Here at The Meridian Group, it’s part of our job to make sure clients are getting the most out of advertising and marketing. Take a look at these simple tips and tricks to help build and maintain a successful social media strategy for your brand.

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Plan Ahead

One of the first mistakes people make with social media is not going in with a solid plan. Create a list of goals you want to achieve with your online presence. Decide which social media sites best fit your company, and then make sure you have an idea of who your target audience is on each. Some businesses tend to gear towards Instagram, whereas others may do better at promoting themselves through Facebook. Figure out which channels work best for you and your brand, and then create a content strategy for each. For a brief overview on the top five social media platforms for business, check out this infographic.

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Create Your Brand Identity

When it comes to marketing and advertising, creating a consistent brand identity is key. It’s important to decide how you want the tone of your content to sound, and it’s just as important to stick with it. Every social media platform is different, and while the type of content you post may vary on each, make sure you are maintaining a consistent brand image that your customers can easily identify you with.

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Create Content

Perhaps the most important thing to remember when it comes to social media marketing is that content is key! Brainstorm ideas for content that relates and interests your audience, and then create a schedule to release it at peak times for your audience. Sites like Hootsuite and Buffer make it easy to manage and schedule posts, and also offer insight on the best times to publish content.

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Engage Your Audience

One of the best ways to utilize social media as a marketing and advertising tool is to engage your audience. Hold contests, tag people and places, and ask and answer questions to keep the conversation going. When someone comments on a post, take the time to comment back. Social media is all about being SOCIAL! Sites like Mention make it easy for you to keep track of whose talking about your brand and ensures you never miss a chance to converse with your audience.

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Measure Your Success

Last but not least, make sure to keep track of how you’re doing socially with tools like Google Analytics. The program breaks down how well your company is performing online, and then offers insight and solutions to increase online traffic and engagement. Understanding where you stand will help push you and your business in the right direction, and ensures you aren’t remaining stagnant in your efforts.

Here at The Meridian Group, we know what it takes to master the art of social media for our clients and use what we call the WHY Process. By defining your company, it’s key attributes and personality, we dig into the core value of your brand and use it to guide every marketing decision. In doing so, we create a cohesive, consistent strategy formulated to grow business, market share and revenue for each and every company we work with.