Sports seasons are in full swing. Just turn on the TV for football, baseball, soccer, racing, volleyball, golf. The jerseys are out, the diehard fans using their season tickets and invitations to watch the “big game” are everywhere.
Though social media marketing doesn’t have a season, or downtime, there are remarkable commonalities. Before you think we’ve been watching too much football, or spent too much time on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest, read on:
It takes a lot of practice and effort. Many a business has jumped into social media without thought as to the time and effort it takes to maintain an updated, relevant site. Setting up a Facebook page or Twitter profile is not effective marketing unless the site has regular information pertinent to your audience—and continues to have regular postings. Social media marketing is a marathon. If you don’t have enough time, or feel you don’t have the expertise to maintain your site, contact a local marketing firm that achieves social media marketing results for small businesses in your area.
You have to try a few different techniques to find your hole-in-one. Like any pro athlete, you need to find the technique that fits your business and audience. Often that means trying out different tones and images to find what engages your audience. Though there have been extensive studies on what times (weekends, holidays, times) are ideal for social media postings, the true formula for timely postings that engage your audience can only be found by trial and error.
Recruiting is involved. Recruiting in social media can have two different meanings: recruiting from within your team or outsourcing. No matter what route works best for your business, you need to find your most trusted employees or marketing firm to post to your social media page. This is your business’ face—your connection to your clients—don’t just trust any intern, young employee or marketing firm.
You have to adjust your game for the team you face. While your social media audience should not be perceived as your opponents, you do need to adjust your game plan depending upon your company’s voice and audience. For example, if you are a pizza shop in a college town, your posts should fit your Millenial audience rather than the minority of Baby Boomers who follow your site.
Just like a successful sports team, finding the right team chemistry and game plan is a touchdown again and again. And though there is no Super Bowl in social media, the rewards—connecting with your clients outside of the sales meeting—is as great as a trophy.
