2019 Social Media Strategy

Reader Digital   •   December 15, 2018

The social media landscape is constantly changing. The marketing strategies you used last year to boost sales via Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter may not be as effective as they once were. But don’t give up. Engaging with your audience on social media is still crucial to building your business; according to a recent study from tech marketing firm Curalate, 76% of U.S. consumers have done business with a brand they first discovered through a social media post.

With so many people finding new products and services online, it’s important to periodically reevaluate your social media strategy to ensure you’re making an impact in the marketplace. Here are some of our top tips for reaching potential customers and building brand awareness via social media in 2019.

1. Conduct a digital marketing audit

Before you can make improvements in your social media performance, you need to take stock of your current metrics. Review all the data for all of your accounts.
Where are your leads being generated from? What’s driving traffic to your website? Which platforms aren’t gaining a significant number of likes or follows? This
information can be used to form the basis of your 2019 social media strategy.

2. Set specific, measurable marketing goals

Think about what you want your social media channels to accomplish. Do you want to build a community among your customers? Does your business need more user-generated content, such as Yelp reviews? Do you need to generate more sales, and if so, by what percentage? Answer each question by setting a specific, measurable goal so you can track your progress and make changes if you’re not seeing the results you need.

3. Create quality content

Over twenty years ago, Bill Gates said, “Content is king” – and that saying is more relevant today than ever before. High quality content drives people to your business through search engines, sharing, and trending. But with so much information out there on the Internet, only the best and most worthwhile content will attract attention. Spend time and money on developing the best possible blog posts, photos, and graphics.

4. Know your audience

To appeal to your audience, you have to know who they are. Use data gleaned from your digital marketing audit to help you determine their age ranges, geographical locations, and where they hang out on the Internet. From there, you can begin building buyer personas that will inform the way you create content, target advertisements, and engage with potential customers.

5. Time it right

They say timing is everything, and that applies to when you post your content on social media, too. Different platforms have different peak performance times – and they also vary by industry and audience. There’s a lot of research out there telling you when the best days and times to post are, but you’ll want to analyze your own performance data against that to decide when to schedule your social media activity.

6. Keep an eye on the competition

Knowing who your closest competitors are and following them on social media will give you key insights into trends, opportunities, and strategies that you can
implement so you don’t get left behind. Not only should you check out what the competition is doing, but you should also monitor how their audience responds to it. This will help you craft a marketing plan that picks up where your competitors leave
off.

Get your 2019 social media strategy together with Reader Digital

If you’re still unsure how to get your social media strategy together for 2019, Reader Digital can give you a hand. With our free digital marketing audit, we can identify the strengths and weaknesses in your current social media platforms, and provide you with a custom plan to grow your followers, increase brand awareness, and turn visitors into customers.

To get started, call us at (619) 483-4600 and ask to speak with one of our marketing specialists today!