There are so many social media platforms available, and there is a constant pressure for businesses to be on every platform in some way. The reality is that you don’t need to be on every social media platform; you need to be on the social media platforms that your customers are on. This statement may leave you with more questions than answers, but the guide below is meant to help you find those answers.
Step One: Create your customer profile
Answer the question, “Who are you trying to reach as customers?” What age group do they fall in? Are they male, female, or both? What role do they have in the buying process? Is your target market the decision maker or do they merely make suggestions for purchase?
Here is a very simple example of a potential customer profile:
Jane is a female and 47 years old. She is looking to purchase a prepaid funeral for herself and her husband. Even though her husband will ultimately pay for the policy, Jane will be the decision maker on the provider of the policy.
For many businesses, you will have multiple target markets. For example, a funeral home has “at-need” cases as well as “pre-need” cases. The customers in these cases fall into different age bands, and therefore different customer profiles.
Based on your customer profiles, you will be able to determine which social media platforms your customers are on. For example, people over 65 years-old are not the most active users on Snapchat, but teenagers and ages 20-25 are very active users. If you’re having a hard time identifying what social media platforms your customer is on, think of what this person uses the Internet for. If they were trying to find information about an event like yours, where would they go to find it? Use your customer profiles to guide you towards the right social media platforms.
Step Two: Determine the type of content you want post
Using your social media platforms to speak directly to your customers comes in a variety of forms. On Facebook, you can create events that your customers can RSVP to as well as invite others to. On Instagram, you can post pictures of live updates from your event. Periscope allows you to do live broadcasts with an interactive commentary from your viewers. These are merely examples, and often times a social media platform will have multiple capabilities built in.
In determining content, you will rule out many social media platforms. For example, if you don’t want to post any video content, there is no need for a YouTube channel, Vine, or Periscope. However, if you are interested in posting photos then Facebook, or Instagram would be better platforms for your business.
Step Three: Start posting!
One of the most important things about social media campaigns, is that all of it is a test. Trying out different ideas allows you to see what content your customers have the most engagement with. Every industry and location is different! What works for a plumbing company in Texas may or may not work for a funeral home in Utah. The best way to find out is to TRY IT. Try posting images from your latest event. Try posting your blog post on cremation memorial services to Facebook or Twitter. Try, try, try and see what the results are. Make adjustments and move forward.
Keep in mind that a solid social media following takes time. Posting one image from an event isn’t a valid test for what your customer base does or does not like. Your post reach is affected by the time of day you post, the set-up, the content, etc. Making minor adjustments can have a significant difference. For example, try posting at a different time of day. You can schedule posts on Facebook if you can’t be at your computer to post manually. You can also try adjusting the verbiage with your post. Instead of just posting a quote, add an additional comment from your company to start a discussion or connect with your viewer. It’s all about the testing!
Hopefully this article has given you a few ideas on how to adjust your social media strategy. Just keep in mind, social media marketing is all about making adjustments from your failures in order to turn your efforts into success!
