Are you intentional with your social marketing? Most marketers will say yes–or at least most of the time, and hey, nobody’s perfekt right?
Today I want you to think about your intentions for using a specific network and ask yourself a few questions. Take a moment to think about each of the networks you are engaging on and write down your answers. I’ll tell you what to do with them in a minute.
Why did you choose this network?
- Because somebody told you you HAD to be there?
- Because your competitor is?
- It seemed like a good idea at the time?
- Because your market is there?
- You like it personally so you use it for business too?
- Holding the username as brand protection?
What do you intend this network to do for you?
- Gain brand recognition?
- Share information with your users?
- Customer service?
- Define yourself as a resource or expert?
- A news resource for your brand?
- Professional development?
Does the “voice” of this network suit your own?
Every social network has a specific voice or way of conversing with others. Evaluating this voice and seeing if it a good fit for you and your brand is important. If your voice doesn’t align with that of the network you’ll stand out like a sore thumb and it feels in-authentic. If your voice doesn’t adapt to this network you may want to rethink why you’re here.
Does the method of communication work for you?
Besides voice, platforms also have unique formats. Do you communicate best through video, short messages with links, long blog posts, images, or in-depth conversations with your community? Does this specific platform’s style work for you?
Look at the data
Hopefully, you set up a list of intentions, (or KPIs) for your social media outreach before you started signing up for networks. Take a look at whatever metrics you decided were your measurements for success. How is this network doing?
Now what?
Look over the results of your review and evaluate how useful each network really is to you. Are the reasons you’re using it still compelling? If you knew then what you know now would you still have signed up?
Think about how you can adjust what you’re doing for better results or to better fit the network. If that feels backward to you, you may want to consider ditching the network. Networks come and go and if it’s not a good fit for you, consider devoting more time to the ones that ARE good for your needs to get your best possible results. Set up your intentions for each network, the people you intend to reach there and the results you wish to achieve. Setting up those intentions will help you keep your marketing on track and align your messaging with your mission.
Want to learn more? Grab a copy of Mindful Social Marketing: How Authenticity and Generosity are Transforming Marketing for my take on what mindful marketing looks like and how to use it to better connect with your customers!