Four steps to social media success

“In the modern world of business, it is useless to be a creative, original thinker unless you can also sell what you create.” - David Ogilvy

According to the “father” of advertising, effective marketing is: informative, honest, clear, personable and judicious. Sure, ok, sounds great, right? We can all strive to be this in theory. But when the rubber meets the road and it’s time to set up your brand or company’s social media marketing plan, it can be less clear.

How DOES one actually be informative, honest, clear, personable and judicious on social media?

More often than not, social media strategy is a critical part of the development of your brand. In this and upcoming blog posts, I’ll endeavor to demystify some of the stranger parts of marketing, beginning with maybe the strangest of all: social media.

The good news is, all effective social media strategy requires is following four simple steps, which I’ll outline here.

Step one: find your goal

Your social media identity works for you. Like any good boss, you should give it some guidance. Start with questions:

What do you want to achieve? Consider your brand, consider your expertise, consider your niche and consider your desired outcome. What does a world where you brand is thriving look like? What problems has your brand helped solve?

The sum of the answers to these questions is your why, AKA your goal.

Current and prospective customers, funders, investors, partners, affiliates and colleagues will all view your social media profiles and platform presence as a statement of your intentions and goals.

Step two: define your audience

Don’t be afraid to speak to your people.

The more specific and clear your brand’s identity and niche, the more success you’ll have in the long run promoting your work. Join the platforms frequented by people and brands to whom you look up. Who cares about the things you care about? Where are they posting? What are they posting about? Join their conversations and watch their audiences, gaining insights into who could be interested in your brand and why.

Step three: develop messages (just a few)

The messages you share on social media should reflect trends as well as solutions.

“Messages” are core ideas central to your goal. Messages are forward-looking, describing ideas you can use to connect your audience to your brand’s vision for the future. How do you see your industry, product or idea growing and changing the world? It is that positioning toward the future that gives information urgency online and makes viewers excited to consume it. Use social media to inspire and inform people on their journey to sharing your ideas.

And don’t forget about your audience, who you defined in step two. Remember what you share with your audience members, what you all care about, and develop messaging around that. Build trust by only sharing messages that align with your goal and speak to your audience. 

Step four: now, execute!

Doing is arguably the hardest part. Bad news: there is no try.

There are no options for marketing your brand on social media other than getting started and marketing your brand on social media. You must do, not try. 

Posting begins with images, links, thoughts and insights that tie back to your messages. Some of the time you create those posts; sometimes you are sharing posts others created that you agree with. Keep in mind, though, that original content is always of the highest value to a consumer.

Creating content may not be as hard as you think; inventory your resources. Your skills, networks and talents can all contribute to your success. Try not to leave any out. For example: If you’re a gifted cook, incorporate recipes into your social media, no matter your brand’s niche. Have fun, be a whole person behind the brand or the account. But be sure to be on the lookout for ways to tie each skill, network and talent into your brand: how is who you are informing what you are selling? Showing people personality can help them determine if what you’re offering is really for them.

That’s it!

Even though David Ogilvy died in 1999, I’d wager that, if he were alive now, he’d say that social media marketing informs and inspires. Keep that in mind as you experiment, play and create on the platforms of your choosing. But don’t wait. Start right away. Flex your quirks, trust your goals and find your people online. These are the real “tricks” of social media, and these steps are what successful social media leaders have in common.