If you are at all interested in social media and hope to be able to run your own campaigns, you have to realise that social media is changing all the time. This means that being up to speed is not good enough! You have to be ahead of the game all of the time in order to be able to develop a strategy which is still relevant once you roll it out. The last thing you need is to find that your thoughts and ideas are outdated by the time you really get your strategy off the ground so follow these tips to help you get out of the blocks first!
Video Is King
OK so you might think you have heard something like this before. The way we use the internet changes all the time, and one of the big changes that we are seeing right now is that video is big news. Everyone wants to be able to glean information in an instant, and video delivers on that front every time. Vine and Instagram afford you the possibility of getting pieces of information across quickly and easily, and are a doddle to use. Your brand comes to life with video, so make sure it’s included in your overall plan.
Don’t Be Best Be First
It’s obviously important to have a good understanding of things like your eventual goals, key performance indicators and background data before you launch headlong into a strategy, but the way the internet grows and moves, the fact is you might not have time to gather all of this information. If you think that the niche you operate in is about to ride the crest of a wave, you have to make sure you catch that wave! Sometimes it is about going with the flow, and jumping on the bandwagon when you can. Follow your instincts in times like these, and work out the best strategy as you go!
Careful Content
We all know that it is all about content these days, but think carefully about what you want it to do for you. Killer content is going to create great engagement, which is better than the size of your community. Focus on branding, but don’t take it too far. If you concentrate on creating great content that relates to your company or product that’s fine. But don’t be afraid to send something out there that is not solely about yourself. Get people talking to you and the branding will look after itself.
Be Mobile Friendly
This is becoming an absolute must. Whatever you are offering, make sure it has a place in mobile search. You need your website, or your promotional material to be as easily accessible on a handheld device as it is on your home pc. Simply be certain that you have a solid mobile strategy.
Be Ready to Adapt
Welcome to an ever changing social media world where different sites almost seem to be merging. Facebook is awash with hashtags, Instagram is now utilising video, and many more social media platforms are an amalgam of the above. Be ready to adapt your approach to suit all of these platforms, remembering that your approach won’t be too different on any of them. If you’ve had a good approach to YouTube video in the past, adapt this approach to suit Vine and Instagram. Don’t be afraid to use the experience you have had on other social networking sites to give it a go on a new site you have yet to experience.