We’re in the business of using all channels and platforms to your advantage. Gaining clout on social media is no accident. It’s intentional – it’s deliberate – and today we’re here to tell you exactly what successful social media strategy looks like:
1. Stop looking at social media for ROI
If you approach social media with a view of what you can get out of it, you’ve set yourself up for a fail. Many of our clients start out with the dreaded questions, “but what will be my ROI if I use social media?” this is completely the wrong way to think about it! Those brands who grow their social channels and building brand awareness are those thinking about what they can give. Social media in its essence was designed as a sharing platform, therefore as a brand you need to share.
Share value. Share entertainment. Share a reason for your audience to engage with you. The web is full of plenty of content, interesting content!
You need to brain train your audience to see your logo, even out of the corner of their eye, and associate your brand with them getting some kind of benefit. Brands who do this effectively know they can cut through the noise of their competitors and offer something different.
The aim game is for your audience to feel connected to your brand. Once you achieve this you will subconsciously create brand champions and they’ll be responsible for other people finding you. In the B2B world of construction and manufacturing word of mouth is king, social media is one way to expand your reach even further!
2. Use every opportunity to get social
Every person your brand comes into contact with is a chance to expand your online network. Make the most of every opportunity as a reason to engage and a reason to continue a conversation. Utilise your site hoarding, your email signatures, utilise your vans, utilise your PPE!
Make everything as shareable as possible. Become Instagram-worthy. It can be as simple as linking your profiles or adding your username somewhere visible.
3. Three questions to kick-start your social strategy
Why are we doing this? What are we trying to achieve? How will we get there?
You can’t just go in blindly and expect to create successful social media without a rough plan. Don’t get us wrong, we’re not about lengthy and boring documents setting out a strategy filled with lots of words that don’t mean a lot. You can sum it all up in a few clear sentences and pin it up on your wall! Either way, your team need to see it and understand it. Then the difficult bit, stick to it. Easier said than done. “I saw this amazing Instagram account who are doing this… you should do this!” don’t fall for it.
Stay cemented in your strategy, don’t be deterred by random recommendations from others. Have confidence in who you are and stick to your guns.
4. They are relevant and synonymous with their industry
Your social media needs to align with your brand positioning strategy (that probably sounds scarier than it actually is). Simply put, brand positioning is the process of setting your business apart from your competitors. Ultimately you want to be speaking to your targeted decision-makers that might be the Site Managers, Estimators, or Procurement Managers.
When there’s news in your industry your audience need to look to you for your opinion, because they value what you have to say on the matter. Thought leadership is an exceptionally powerful tactic which can have outstanding results. Everyone can give an opinion and leave a review or be outraged, but it’s mainly irrelevant because it’s just noise.
Your audience are looking for a relevant, expert commentary on topics they care about.
5. Consistency is Key
The final top tip is consistency. Consistent in regularity and consistent in the way your brand is represented. Use your brand guidelines to stick to a colour palette, a graphic style, and tone of voice. If you want to post once a week, or once a day, try to stick to it. It works against you if you switch between being super active and then going silent.
Don’t forget … Just because you’re consistent doesn’t mean you can’t entertain and surprise your audience. You can keep things fresh, whilst still sticking to your regular style.
There we have it, our five social media secrets, based on what we’ve learned from working with numerous successful construction and manufacturing brands. If you want more hints or tips why not give us a follow on our socials.
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