So you’ve got a phenomenal social media team and strategy in place you say? You’re going to roll out a huge campaign with phenomenal videos and images that will go viral almost instantly you say? I hear this from people from time to time and it always makes me wonder how they know for certain that everything they just said will ring true for them. Well, the one sure-fire way to know what your audience wants and craves is utilizing the social media analytics tools available to you.
Generally, when I do hear about campaigns that people have upcoming I have to ask about their analytics prior to launching “the next big thing.” This is usually where the conversation comes to a screeching (and necessary) halt. You see, social media marketing can be a bit of a cat and mouse game. Because social media is always evolving, there are so many factors that go into a campaign and if you’re not analyzing previous data you could fall flat on your face – and publically.
With any marketing strategy, you have to factor in all aspects of how you’re executing. The who, what, where, when & why need to be calculated precisely by an expert voice before going through with the how (I bet you weren’t expecting the 5W’s there were you). It’s in utilizing a lesson taught to us back in our middle elementary school years that can show us the relationship between analytics and a successful social media marketing strategy.
By taking into account the 5W’s, you can then move forward with your campaign while using past data as a compass on how to execute your current strategy.
Who: Your Target Audience
Where: Which platform are they mostly using
When: They’re on social media, but at what time?
Why: What are your company’s goals with this campaign? Subscribers? Likes? Website conversions? Figuring out ‘why’ you’re executing this campaign will go a long way to you succeeding.
What: Maybe the most important ‘W.’ What is your message? What is your brand/company trying to get across to attract your audience?
There are quite a few social media analytics tools at your disposal and it is imperative that you or your team are up to date with which one is most effective for you. Depending on what you would like to accomplish, there’s a tool that you can utilize to help fine tune your strategy as you’re going along should it be needed. Or, if you’re successful, those tools will indicate you’re on target. At the end of the day, you’ll never know just how effective your plan is unless you effectively manage its execution.
A good social media team will be able to increase aspects of your campaign through trial and error. A great one, just like us here at Social Know How, will be able to show you exactly what you have been, and will need to do moving forward, to successfully go from one end of your marketing plan to the other. By using analytics, we can eliminate the need for trial and error and effectively execute a strategy based on the social media cravings of your audience.
