In this guest blog post, Designli CEO/Co-Founder and friend of the Founder Institute Keith Shields explains how early-stage tech companies can make the most out of their social media presence and build their online audience.
Social media is like the Wild West during the Gold Rush era — a few startups are making it big, seeing success from their social media marketing efforts, but many more are wasting a lot of resources posting on social media platforms with little to show for it. Also like the Gold Rush, those who succeed have a carefully-crafted strategy for where to dig (what audience to target), what tools to use, and what resources to invest.
We’ve experimented with a variety of tools and tactics for our own startup (Designli). In this post, we’re sharing what we’ve learned about how to get more out of what you’re putting into social media marketing.
1. Research Your Audience
Success in marketing always starts with your audience. You won’t be able to connect with the people you hope will become customers if you don’t thoroughly understand their needs, desires, interests, fears, struggles, hobbies, and life situations. The better you understand your audience, the better you’ll be able to communicate with them. And the less likely you are to create a snafu.
To uncover this information about your audience, you’ll need to dig a little deeper than traditional demographic details. The best way to get to know your target audience is to talk with them. Conduct interviews with people in your target audience and ask open-ended questions designed to get them sharing. Then create a representative buyer persona that outlines what you’ve learned.
2. Target the Platforms Your Audience Uses
One of the bits of information you should have uncovered in your research is what social media platforms your audience uses. While you can make some generalizations (for example, if you’re targeting B2B salespeople they’re probably spending a lot of time on LinkedIn), what you find may surprise you. There are many lesser-known social media sites that could be ideal places to reach your audience.
Targeting the wrong platforms means more than just missed opportunity. If you’re posting on platforms your audience doesn’t visit very often, you’ll be wasting your limited resources. So this step is especially important.
3. Craft a Content Strategy
What does your audience want to see from you? Crafting a content strategy means creating content that simultaneously matches your audience’s interests and shares something meaningful about your brand. Shoot for a mix of helpful tips and information, posts that connect on a human level, posts that display your brand’s personality and passion, and promotional posts. (The company that created the buyer persona creation tool we shared above, HubSpot, does a great job with content strategy, and they serve as a good model.)
Once you’ve decided what types of posts to share, create an editorial calendar. You can be as detailed or as basic as you’d like — focus on what works for your team’s efficiency. You’ll at least want to outline the type of posts you’ll share, when you’ll share them, and what platforms you’ll share on.
4. Engage Consistently
Social media marketing must be consistent to be successful. Your audience will need to see your posts several times before your company or products will begin to register on their radars. While you don’t want to flood their feeds, they should see your posts at least once every few days. Keep in mind that not all of your posts will show up in your audience’s feeds. And since not everyone logs into their social accounts multiple times a day, they aren’t likely to see everything in their feeds. Being consistent will ensure that at least a few of your posts are seen.
5. Collect Feedback in Real Time
Always be iterating. As startup founders, we all know how important this is when developing a product, and it applies to marketing as well. Monitor the comments that you’re getting on your posts. What’s resonating with people? What’s causing pushback? What posts perform the best? What seems to slip by without generating any interest? Spend some time analyzing how your posts are performing and then make adjustments to your strategy.
Also, don’t forget to respond to comments. Engagement will build a relationship between your brand and your audience, creating a stronger connection. If your audience begins to identify with your brand, you’re on your way to a committed customer base. Responding to comments will also allow you to quickly resolve any issues or service complaints, avoiding the wrong kind of attention.
Success with social media marketing really comes down to knowing your audience, posting strategically, maintaining engagement, and measuring and improving your strategy based on what you learn. While success can seem random or elusive, it’s actually more controllable than it seems. With a plan and follow-through, the chances are much higher that you’ll strike social media marketing gold.
