Social networks are marketing tools that are as effective as they are mobile: they seem to multiply every day and new functionalities are regularly developed. The challenge is significant for the company, which must not only master the functioning of the social networks it uses, but also integrate new features as opportunities arise. In the absence of dedicated full-time experts, the success of the social media strategy depends on a simple and adapted plan, which takes into account the available resources and the objectives of the company.

What is a social media strategy?

The social media strategy, or strategy on social networks, consists in defining and planning the relevant actions on the social networks of the company, according to its marketing and commercial objectives. The strategy is created with a medium- and long-term vision, but is also adapted according to the results obtained and according to trends.

Why do a social media strategy?

In France, more than 75% of the population actively uses social networks. For the company, these media therefore represent an opportunity to reach a wide audience. A large majority of marketing departments have understood this, and most companies already integrate social networks into their marketing strategy. In this context, the company that deprives itself of it risks losing a competitive advantage.

It is tempting to improvise the actions to be carried out on social networks: the community manager traces his actions on the brand's accounts on the use he makes of his personal accounts. However, the marketing and commercial potential of social media deserves to professionalize the practice. Creating a social media strategy benefits the business in several ways:

• Thinking about a social network strategy naturally leads the company to consider these media as a marketing tool in its own right and to become aware of the issues related to their use. The company must necessarily deepen its knowledge of the subject to make strategic decisions, this work leads it to ask the right questions and allows it to broaden its perspectives in terms of communication and sales .
• Once the social media strategy has been developed, the company has an easily and quickly actionable plan. The implementation manager knows exactly what to do, and relies on a precise schedule: the risk of errors or omissions is reduced, and the marketing campaign is more effective . The company that has a strategy can also use a software platform, such as the HubSpot social media management tool to save time. All actions are programmed, the tool automates their implementation and generates statistics.
• The social media strategy involves, downstream, measuring the results of the marketing campaign. The approach is of paramount importance, especially since the panorama of social media and the mores of consumers are changing rapidly. Based on the results obtained, the company is able to continually adapt its strategy, for an ever more beneficial impact on its brand image and on sales .

Overall, establishing a social media strategy is essential for getting organized, and allows the company to improve its marketing and sales performance.

How to create a social media strategy in 8 steps?

1. Define your target audience
2. Create a blog
3. Create informative content
4. Do a competitive watch
5. Focus on a few key social networks
6. Develop a coherent and realistic plan
7. Measure results
8. Adjust tactics

Develop a strategy adapted to the needs of the company

1 - Define the target audience

Defining the target audience makes it possible to refine the choice of social networks to use and the type of content to distribute. Illustration: the B2B audience is mostly active on LinkedIn, while Generation Z is a fan of video formats on TikTok. It is on the basis of the typical profile of its ideal client that the company develops and implements its social network strategy, this step is therefore crucial.

The company identifies and documents its buyer personas, establishing the key demographic data of the audience it wants to reach: age, gender, profession, income, hobbies or even areas of interest. To enrich the standard profile, the company reflects on the challenges it encounters and the problems it tries to solve on a daily basis.

Once the buyer personas have been identified and documented, the company focuses on the three or four profiles that represent the majority of its target customers. The company can then apply segmentation in the implementation of its social network strategy: segmenting the audience avoids offering an overly generic message that would not create engagement. On the contrary, the messages are personalized and thus reach the target more effectively.

2 - Create a blog

As part of its overall digital marketing strategy, the company uses different channels, including its social networks and its website. One serves the interests of the other: the Internet user "land" indifferently on the web page or on the brand's social network, relaying the content on each medium thus ensures the visibility of the content and reinforces the impact of the message. .

• The Internet user who lands on the social network is redirected to the web page: the company increases its traffic.
• Conversely, the Internet user who lands on the web page is encouraged to consult the social network: the company expands its community and increases its engagement rate.

A successful social media strategy is based on the creation and sharing of recent, original and quality content. Creating a blog is essential for this purpose, in particular because the blog medium allows longer formats than the social network medium: the company offers itself the possibility of creating more qualitative and original content, at a regular frequency, and the content is then shared as a snippet on social media. Concretely, the company inserts a blog on its website, then creates content that addresses the questions frequently asked by prospects as well as the subjects that are most important to them. The company publishes this content regularly, with at least one new article every week. Share, in the form of excerpts,increase traffic through social networks : the blog is the source of content, social networks act as a marketing relay.

3 - Create informative content

The blog is not the exclusive source of content for the social media strategy, the company has every interest in creating content specifically adapted to social media: informative, short and entertaining content. Among the formats best suited to social networks :

• Downloadable content, of the e-book type,
• checklists,
• The video,
• Infographics.

To effectively interest and engage the community, messages delivered through these formats address challenges faced by target prospects. The more useful and informative the content, the more the audience is inclined to share it on social networks: the reach of the campaign increases.

4 - Follow the competition

Competitive intelligence is essential to increase efficiency and seize any opportunity without delay. The company monitors the following practices:

• On which social networks are its competitors present?
• What types of content does the competition share?
• What are the most popular contents?

Each company applies its own style and develops its own social media strategy. Without copying, being inspired allows you to stay on top of trends. Knowing the positioning of competitors on social networks also allows you to stand out.

5 - Focus on a few key social networks

Most small and medium businesses don't have the resources to establish and maintain an increased presence on more than a handful of social networks. Also, learning the rules of engagement on each of them can seem like an overwhelming task. To overcome these obstacles, the company is proceeding in stages.

First step: identify the main social networks likely to be used by the target audience. Examples:

• LinkedIn is essential for professionals. Using LinkedIn not only allows you to develop your network, but also to attract new prospects as part of a B2B activity. The company publishes its news when a new product or service is launched, and shares in-depth articles to promote its offer. The use of LinkedIn affirms the expertise and increases the professionalism of the brand, which improves its image and reinforces its notoriety.
• Snapchat and TikTok reach a young audience. TikTok in particular has established itself in the social media landscape since 2020, and is quickly reaching an older target. Its short video format is playful, in line with audience expectations. The company can also launch challenges, so as to increase the commitment of its community. Using TikTok is suitable when the company's activity justifies publishing creative and whimsical content, the social network allows the brand to be modern while creating a strong connection with the public.
• Pinterest and Instagram rely on image. The user appreciates the aesthetic visuals as well as the engaging stories published by the brands he follows. Using Instagram allows the company to showcase its products or services, provided it has the skills and tools to design attractive displays and take effective photos. Many professions can take advantage of these social networks, and in particular: design, gastronomy, tourism, cosmetics or graphic design.
• Twitter or Facebook , which are older, bring together a large and diversified audience. On Facebook, the company engages its subscribers by publishing different types of content: text, image, video or even contests. The presence of the brand on Facebook is recommended, because it is considered the historical social network: the prospect who does not find a Facebook brand account risks doubting his credibility. Twitter is aimed more at B2B sectors, media and politicians who publish news at an intensive frequency.
• YouTube relies on video, a powerful medium as part of the company's social media strategy. YouTube not only allows you to distribute promotional content, but also to publish tutorials or customer cases. The brand can create its YouTube channel, provided it is able to feed it regularly. If the format adapts to most sectors of activity, the implementation of video marketing requires the deployment of significant resources, which not all structures have.

Second step: once the relevant social networks have been identified, the company creates the brand accounts then, gradually, builds, engages and preserves its community on the basis of its regular and qualitative publications. It is only after these initial efforts that the company adds new networks to its communication arsenal.

6 - Develop a coherent and realistic schedule

To get results, the company establishes a consistent release and engagement schedule.

To begin with, the company develops a reasonable strategy to which it is able to commit over the long term. It's about setting goals for posting frequency and subscriber engagement , and sticking to the strategy.

Posting consistently is important, especially early in the development of the brand on the networks, both for the audience and for the algorithm of the networks.

7 - Measure KPIs on social networks

A multitude of KPIs are available for social networks. To measure the performance of its strategy, the company can start by studying the traffic generated on the website through social networks. Other critical social media KPIs include:

• The growth in the number of subscribers,
• The scope of the publications
• The engagement rate.

Continuously monitoring and analyzing the performance of content in terms of visibility and engagement makes it possible to detect trends related to specific keywords or topics, which generate more interest.

Within reasonable limits, after studying the first results, the company sets targets for the key indicators and creates reports to measure their progress. A social network management tool is a valuable aid when it integrates analytics.

8 - Adjust tactics

Social networks rarely bring instant results. Attracting followers , establishing yourself as an influencer and getting results takes time. You also need to do some testing to find the right balance of networks, content, and communications that really engage the target audience.

Over time, the company adjusts its strategy, content and personas based on the information it collects, until it achieves more visible results.