So many social media platforms, and so little time, different audiences for each and video, where is one to start? It is easy to see why social media can be overwhelming for someone who may not be familiar with the possibilities social media provides for organizations both big and small. For others, who are social media masters, are you sure you are using the right platform to reach your ideal client in 2024? In 2024 what social media platforms should your business focus on? Over the next few weeks, we are going to look at some of the most popular social media platforms, their pros, cons and how to best practices using social media.
Today we want to help demystify some of the social media madness with a few key pieces of information and the things you need to know before your organization jumps in the social media ocean.
Know Your Ideal Customer/ Client:
Before you jump on the newest virial craze, (think ice bucket challenge, photo memes) take a pause. This is the most important thing we can share about the use of social media or any sort of marketing or communications best practices: know your audience. Before you commit one single dollar to marketing or PR you have to know who, you want to reach. Who is your organization’s ideal customer? Without doing this, you stand a good chance of missing the mark completely, and will be left with a lighter wallet, and not much to show for it.
There are lots of ways to figure out who your ideal client is. One of the best things any organization can do is learn who this client is. Know them well, know their habits and reevaluate your ideal client at least once a year. There are tons of free online resources out there that can guide you through how to do this. It might seem unimportant, but don’t be fooled, knowing your ideal client is the most important part of your social media strategy in 2024.
Meet Your Ideal Client Where They’re At:
Once you have the persona or personas of your ideal client, now know have more direction on who you want to reach. Age, gender, geographic location, disposable income, number of children they may have, all of these things matter and should dictate how and where you put your social media efforts in 2024. You have to think like your ideal client, where are they spending their time online?
Each social media platform caters to an age range, demographic, segment of industry, and so much more. For example, we know that spending money on Facebook makes sense if you are generally trying to reach an older crowd that is local, as opposed to a business trying to sell services to another business. Where you communicate matters, make sure you are meeting your ideal clients where they are, not on the social network you think is cool.
Talk To Them in a Way They’ll Understand:
Just as each platform is different, and will cater to a different demographic, so should your message. When strategizing for your social media plans in 2024 it is so important to keep this in mind. Platforms such as Tick-toc and Instagram are image/ video based whereas Threads, Twitter and LinkedIn rely more on text and links. If you are speaking across multiple platforms this is not a spot where one size fits all. You will have to edit your message to “fit” the platform.
Don’t Loose You:
Social media can move quickly especially with trends, memes, and viral videos. It is important to know your brand and your voice as an organization. So many times, we see even the largest companies throw their hat into the viral trend only to have it backfire horribly. In most cases the organizations that jump on the bandwagon quickly to catch a viral moment and fail miserably have strayed far from their brand voice.
If you aren’t sure what your brand voice is, write down some characteristics about your organization. Ask yourself before you post if your post aligns with those ideals or characteristics. If the post doesn’t align, don’t do it. You’ll confuse your ideal client or cause them to unfollow you all together.
Spend Cautiously:
Not all dollars are created equally in the social media world. If you are just starting out on social media or are branching out for the first time, spend cautiously. Some would argue that it is better to spend money when you have a more established following, while others will argue that spending can attract a larger audience. In our opinion this is a bit like the chicken and the egg argument.
The bottom line is, think of your next year. Do you have any events or special promotions that you want your ideal clients to know about? If you answered yes, then put your dollars around that event. Make sure if you are going to spend some money on social media to target your ideal customer, keep their persona in mind. Reaching thousands of people is only great if they are your ideal customers otherwise you are wasting your hard-earned money.
A Few Closing Thoughts:
If this all seems a bit overwhelming or you still aren’t sure how to find your ideal client, or what platform to focus on, we are always here to help.
If you are determined and are willing to take the time and effort it will take to meet your ideal client, then there is one more piece of advice be consistent in your messaging and your efforts. Set a posting schedule and stick to it. As your ideal client begins to see your posts, they may soon look forward to them. Posting consistently also adds credibility to your organization. It shows that you reaching out to them is important and therefore the client feels valued in a small way.
