The most important aspect of any social media marketing strategy is to set S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measureable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely) goals. As we’ve discussed in previous blog posts, posting blindly and expecting to achieve massive amounts of new sales would be like cooking without the right ingredients and expecting perfection.
By setting goals, it’s easier to measure success or failure and to know where adjustments are needed. These goals are not always focused on money or return on investment, as social media marketing is more geared towards engagement and providing solutions to problems rather than selling.
Two goals that social media marketing can help with:
- Brand Awareness – Brand awareness is all about your brand becoming relevant to potential buyers.
Analytics to Track:
- Increase Engagement
- Followers
- Likes
- Retweets
Example of S.M.A.R.T. Goal:
Gain 1,000 Instagram followers by the end of the month.
2. Improved Public Relations – Monitoring your company’s mentions or hashtags so that you can find out what customers are saying about your brand, and respond to complaints in a timely manner. This helps to improve relationships, reviews and ratings.
Analytics to Track:
- Improve Relationships
- Mentions
- Ratings
- Reviews
Example of S.M.A.R.T. Goal:
- Gain 10 Positive Reviews on Google and Facebook in three months.
Social media marketing is a multi-faceted approach that, when used properly, can help grow your business by creating brand awareness, engaging with customers, and finding new customers.
Your organization needs to set S.M.A.R.T. goals so successes and failures can be measured properly. If you are just starting to use social media as an extension of your marketing strategy then it is better to focus on engagement and building a presence. If you jump right into selling, you may lose traction before getting started.
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