No modern day marketing campaign is complete without some form of social media. By this point, most businesses have implemented social media into their marketing strategies. Some have succeeded, while others have had a more difficult time generating likes, shares and social engagement. If you feel that your social media marketing strategy isn’t as effective as you’d like it to be, you may need to take a step back, reanalyze your goals and recreate a solid foundation that will allow you to grow.

Let’s get started.

Where’s Your Audience?

It’s a common misconception that businesses need to be on every social channel. This isn’t necessary, realistic or even a good idea in some cases. It’s better to have a strong presence on a few social channels rather than be spread too thin. Choose the networks where your audience will be. Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are the best places to start. Then, consider branching out to channels like Google+, Pinterest, Instagram and Vine depending on your audience. Which leads to our next point…

Who’s Your Audience?

In addition to knowing where your audience is, you need to know who your audience is. Don’t just say “anyone.” It’s important that you speak in a language that will relate to your customers, so you need to segment your audience. For instance, if you provide landscaping services, you can narrow your customers down to affluent, residential homeowners.

First Impressions

When a potential customer visits you on social media, what impression do you leave? Are your pages accurate and up to date? They should include company info, contact information, engaging content, lively images and activity. View your pages from the perspective of a new customer and be objective about what experience you’re leaving behind.

Sharing Content

Content is often more valuable than we realize. It’s the one way to connect with your audience, share industry knowledge, gain trust and display your personal side through one piece of work. If your content isn’t getting the engagement you hoped for, take a step back and think about why this may be. Is your content interesting? Does it solve a problem or offer meaningful advice? Does it include an image, video or gif? Also, do you have a distribution schedule in place? Sharing content regularly and consistently has a huge impact.

Getting Active

Finally, be an active voice on social media. When your customers know that someone is listening, they are more likely to be engaged. Otherwise, there’s no point to follow you, read your content or make a comment if no one notices or responds. Communication is always a two-way street, and this interaction may be missing in your current social media strategy.