It’s no big secret that most of us spend our time online using social media platforms. In fact, according toStatista in 2020, over 3.6 billion people were using social media worldwide, a number projected to increase to over 4.41 billion in 2025. It’s a no-brainer as to why we continue to see successful marketers moving toward a social-first digital strategy. A social-first digital strategy means developing a strategy that looks at social media marketing as a primary tactic and not as an afterthought. When digital marketing is done right, tactics are totally integrated. As social media continues to prove itself as a front-runner in digital marketing, it’s time that digital strategies position brands and businesses as social-first. This doesn’t mean tactics like SEO, PPC or Email Marketing aren’t important. In digital marketing everything fits together like a puzzle and the first piece should be social media. Implementing a social-first digital strategy gives you the opportunity to both engage with your potential prospects and establish a better online presence for your brand. Now you may be asking yourself, how can I do this? Check out some of these easy tips for building out a successful social-first digital strategy.
Knowing your Target Audience
The key to any effective marketing strategy stems back to knowing your target audience. For example, if your demographic consists of adults aged 18-25, then you would likely use social platforms like TikTok and Instagram to generate relevant content. Knowing who you’re communicating with allows you to create engaging content and gives your brand a chance to join the conversation. By using social media tools like social management and social listening you’ll also be able to find more user-generated content for better engagement with your audience.
Set and Measure Your Marketing Goals
Look at the competitors in your market and see what kind of social strategy they have. Do they create consistent YouTube videos or share helpful articles? Use relevant market strategies as your baseline to set your specific marketing goals. You’ll also want to have strong visuals on your social channels. Visual information on the internet has increased by 9900% since 2007, so take advantage of platforms like Instagram to create some measurable goals for your brand. Having a social-first digital strategy means being able to keep up with current trends while using them to your advantage!
Create Engaging Content
When you know who your audience is and what your goals are, it’s time to start the content creation process. A healthy social-first strategy should consist of both paid advertising and organic content. Using paid social media features is key to creating brand awareness. Putting your business in front of your audience is all it takes to get them over to your social channels. So, what happens when they get there? Your organic content should make them want to stay and engage. Users crave authentic brands whose content reflects their values. So, when you create content, don’t strive for this perfectly filtered idea, but rather communicate who you really are to get users engaging with your page.
Interact with your Audience
Emphasize the “social” in social media. Having a person or a team dedicated to community management lets your customers know it’s a two-way street. When users have questions, concerns, or just say they’re happy make sure they feel heard. Ask them if they have questions or opinions and join the conversation with productive answers. Engaging with your audience does not have an end date, it should always be consistent when using social platforms. Like customer service, most users prefer to talk to someone rather than having to go find answers from an FAQ link.
When it comes to having a social-first digital strategy just prioritize it and take advantage of what’s already there. You don’t need to have a multi-million-dollar budget to create original content and drive engagement to your social channels. Every successful marketing strategy starts somewhere, and we continuously see smaller brands making a bigger name for themselves in competitive markets. Using these simple tips and putting social first in your marketing plan, you’ll be able to establish yourself online and watch your brand flourish over time. If you are interested in learning more about what it means to build a social-first digital strategy, please contact Samantha Gant at samantha@s-alchemy.com.