So many thoughts come to mind when thinking about social media strategy for business. Most companies feel the pressure to “be in it”, but they are not sure of why? Or -the who, what, when, and where for that matter.
We can answer all of those questions with one word …FISHING. Yes, fishing.
A fisherman makes many decisions before embarking on the fishing day. Who, if anyone will be fishing with him; what kind of bait will be used to catch the desired fish; when is the best time to fish; where is the best place to fish; and why fish? Well, the why is to catch fish…but it’s also for satisfaction, pride and validation that you are an expert in the activity.
These are the same questions to be asked when constructing your social media strategy for business—big or small.
It doesn’t matter how many fish are in the sea if none will take your bait… – Pon and Zi
WHY?
Let’s work our way from the Why question first. We said fishing is for satisfaction, pride and validation of expertise. This is the same as your companies’ objectives—sales/conversions, brand awareness and expert/authority in your field.
WHERE?
Where does one choose to fish? Where they believe the fish are biting. If you’re fishing for salt water fish, don’t fish in fresh water– and vice –versa. If you are in the business of selling dog food, don’t fish in a cat pond. In other words, you’ll want to post, follow and engage with people that like dogs or dog related groups. Do not try to be everywhere or everything to everyone…not only will you get lost in the sea, but you are wasting your time when you can focus and optimize your energy on your most qualified prospects.
WHEN?
If you are a B2B company, posting and engaging are more optimal during business hours. If you are a lifestyle/consumer related business, your posts are more likely to be viewed after business hours. But, experiment with post times. Use the Insights tab to view results. Click on “Insights”:
And then click on “Posts” to see what time you’re posts get the best results.
WHAT (BAIT)?
The Finer the Bait, the Shorter the Wait!-Frank Gorshin
What bait will you use to get to your potential customers? One of the best social media baits is hashtags. Place a hashtag in front of industry topics and customer types or geo-targets. The fish will bite. Specifically, type in #__________ in the Search bar and you will see groups and people that you want to be near. If your potential customers are local, ex. Fairfield, CT, you could type in #fairfield or #fairfieldcounty or #fairfieldcountyct; if you’re in a selling a particular product, ex. Dog food, you could type in #dogs, #dogfood, #dogowner.
WHO?
Who are your target customers? Choose your platform(s) wisely based on their profile. Keep in mind the size/type of the water that you are fishing in…While Facebook and Twitter are popular for most businesses, find the platform that best suits your target market, Men vs. Women, Age Groups, Industry Segment. Research the nature and stats of each platform.
For example, Pinterest may be great for a restaurant/food industry (displaying beautiful meals/food)…it’s not so much the same for an insect extermination business…
Here are some stats to consider:
- Facebook still skews significantly female. Women in the U.S. are more likely to use Facebook than men by about 10 percentage points, according to a 2013 survey of social network adoption.*
- Facebook remains the top social network for U.S. teens. Nearly half of teen Facebook users say they’re using the site more than last year, and Facebook has more daily teen users than any other social network.*
- That said, Instagram has edged out Facebook and Twitter in terms of prestige among young users. U.S. teens now describe Instagram as “most important,” while Facebook and Twitter lost ground on this measure, according to Piper Jaffray’s twice yearly teen survey. The survey also found that 83% of U.S. teens in wealthy households were on Instagram.*
- LinkedIn is actually more popular than Twitter among U.S. adults. LinkedIn’s core demographic are those aged between 30 and 49, i.e. those in the prime of their career-rising years. Not surprisingly, LinkedIn also has a pronounced skew toward well-educated users.*
- Twitter has begun to lean worryingly toward male users, whereas previously it was a more gender-balanced social network. Pew found that 22% of men use Twitter, while only 15% of women do.*
- YouTube reaches more adults aged 18 to 34 than any single cable TV network. Nearly half of people in this age group visited YouTube between December 2013 and February 2014, according to Nielsen. It was rated by millennials as the top place to watch content, ahead of digital and TV properties like Facebook and ESPN.*
- Snapchat is the youngest social network of all. More than six out of 10 Snapchat users are in the 18-to-24 age group, compared to 28% of Instagram users, according to a survey by Informate.*
- Women are four times more likely to be Pinterest users than men.**
- Contrary to popular belief, most people aren’t using multiple social networks.**
- Over 50% of Internet users either don’t use any social networks, or use just one (i.e. Facebook).**
- Almost all social networkers use Facebook. In fact, over 80% of ‘other’ social network users also use Facebook.Pinterest and LinkedIn are stand-alone networks.**
- There is much less crossover usage with other networks (except Facebook).Pinterest and LinkedIn users are wealthier than the other networks with a high percentage earning over $75000 PA.**
*http://www.businessinsider.com
**http://oursocialtimes.com
So…GO Fishing!
Fishing involves research, time, patience, knowledge and good bait. So does the development of your businesses social media strategy. Take the time to analyze these aspects and you should be able to reel the fish in—and hopefully, they won’t get away!For help in constructing your social media campaigns or other social media related services, feel free to contact: Lasso Up. Or call, 888-700-9412.
