Facebook is under fire (again) as users start to get their heads around the problem of data ownership and what that really means. On top of all that the algorithms have now got to the point when only 8% of users who like your FB page will actually ever see a post organically. I will say that again, only 8% will see your post organically.
So with the dawn of paid-for social media where does this leave us? To be really honest, whilst the headlines are pretty dramatic, not much has changed over the last 6 months. And it hasn’t altered our opinion about using social media. We have always known that you need a strategy to achieve anything on the social front. Without one, you end of wandering aimlessly around the social ether, hoping to strike gold at any moment… any moment… any moment.
Trying to formalise your social media presence can be daunting for businesses but it really isn’t. Start by looking at your business goals – short and long term. Write them down. From there your Marketing Strategy is born. That leads nicely to your Marketing Plan that should be created to include the correctly identified social channels for you and your business. Aim to have all this signed off by the business and secure your budgets (for paid for posts/promotions) so that you can realistically achieve what you set out to do.
The content you create should be continually checked against your business goals and Marketing Strategy and over time will build a picture of your business that supports these longer term aims. They will of course flex over time – and that is ok – but without the anchor of the Marketing Strategy you will, without doubt, just end up “doing social media” that is a complete waste of time.
If you’d like to talk further about this, please do contact us.