Whether you have a startup or an established brand, as a business owner you wear many hats and do what is needed to make your company as successful as possible. When it comes to social media, you know that you can reach a large group of people in a cost-effective way. With so many networks to choose from, navigating the seas of social media can often be a confusing and chaotic journey. So how do you narrow down options and choose the right platform for your business?

The first question to ask yourself is who makes up your audience and where are they spending their time online. For example, maintaining a Snapchat account could be a wasted effort if your customer demographic is composed of men in their fifties. Defining and understanding your customer persona in detail will help you to pinpoint which social channels they are using.

Equally important as analyzing the platforms your customers are using is researching what social media accounts your competitors are managing. How often are they posting? Who are their followers? Is their target audience like yours? This step can also offer valuable insight into developing your customer persona.

One of the most crucial steps in this process is determining your social strategy objectives and defining the results you expect to see. If you can’t explain why or how a platform will help you to achieve your goals, then it’s more than likely you shouldn’t implement it. To name a few, your business goals can be focused on brand awareness, community building, or conversions.

Once you have a better understanding of your audience, define the type of content you want to publish. Certain content formats will be more suited to specific social channels than others. For instance, if a brand wants to establish themselves as a thought leader in an industry, publishing their own articles on LinkedIn can be beneficial. If your video content is short and aimed at a younger audience, you may consider Instagram as a platform.

Building out a professional and consistent social presence may involve a lot more time and resources than you think. These steps just scratch the surface, and once you’ve selected your channels, it’s time to start creating and publishing. From determining your target audience to designing the content to share with the world, here at Digital Lagoon, we can help you from beginning to end.

Contact us to learn more about our social media and other marketing services.