Does Strategy Matter in Social Media or Content Marketing?

Is Social Media Strategy or Content Marketing That Important?

Do you have a plan for your social media content and posting or do you just go with the flow and post as things happen or when you find information relevant to your business?
If you’re a planner, do you say that because you have a schedule of when things post or because you have a very clear picture of who your ideal client, what their needs and wants are and exactly how you can meet those needs?  
If your strategy only includes a posting plan then you may be missing the most important aspect of successful strategic marketing.

Successful Marketing Strategies should consist of these 6 components:
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1. Branding: Have you created an image, a brand, a look and feel that is easily recognized when you put out content or ads?
   
2. Market Research: Do you know, beyond demographics, who your ideal customer/client is, what they want/need, where they look for and spend money to get that want/need met?
   
3. Attractive Character: Do your clients/customers have a “character” they connect with that represents your company/business (if it’s not you directly)?
   
4. Your Offer:  Beyond the actual product or service, what do YOU have to OFFER that is different/better than anyone else with the same or similar product/service?
   
5. Custom Content: Is the content you post connecting your ideal clients to your offer and do they easily recognize it as yours?
   
6. Roadmap: Is what you’re using to guide your steps leading you forward and is it lined with all the resources and tools you need on the journey?
   

Branding

Have you created an image, a brand, a look and feel that is easily recognized when you put out content or ads?

When you look at these logos you can get a feel for the person or company behind the brand.  Whether you’re a large or small, online or brick & mortar, solopreneur or growing entrepreneur, branding is one of the most important aspect of your business.
Does branding really matter?  Absolutely. Branding is the face they see and think of when they think of your product or service.  Imagine looking into a crowd to find a friend but everyone looks like those faceless icons we use in marketing. (insert faceless icons)  How hard would it be to find your friend? That’s what happens to your product or service when it’s “faceless”. It gets lost in the crowd.  Don’t get lost. Stand out. When people scan the overcrowded market, be that familiar face waving at them, inviting them to your business.

Market Research

Do you know, beyond demographics, who your ideal customer/client is, what they want/need, where they look for and spend money to get that want/need met?

Anyone launching a business is told early on to be sure to have a “target market”: the group of consumers at which a product or service is aimed.  However, moving beyond the demographic portion of your market is vital. The next step is to narrow down your market into an “ideal customer”. I first heard about this concept from Russell Brunson when studying the DotCom Secrets and Expert Secrets books.  He encourages us to create an actual visual representation, an Avatar, of the perfect client. Know their age, interests, income, where they hang out online because when you know that you can target that. It’s too expensive to target general audiences.  You have to do the research to narrow the options and decrease wasteful ad spending. When you know more about your ideal customers you will know how to find and target them more effectively, more efficiently and even for free as well.

Attractive Character

Do your clients/customers have a “character” they connect with that represents your company/business (if it’s not you directly)?

People recognize a logo and brand, they connect with the Attractive Character.  I’m not talking about the 5’7 model you hire off of Craigslist either. We’ve all see a Gecko succeed quite well at this so your attractive character isn’t about looks. Larger companies often hire or create a “face” of the company but for smaller businesses it’s usually the founder or owner that is the “character” people resonate with.  You are the passion, the drive, the story behind your business and that’s what makes people choose to buy from you over ordering on Amazon.
In the Dotcom and Expert Secret books, Russell talks about the Attractive Character and how important it is to know which character you portray because it will influence the way you continue to market your business, product or service.  Are you ‘The Leader’, ‘The Adventurer/Crusader’, ‘The Reporter/Evangelist’ or ‘The Reluctant Hero’? Just like in the movies, your businesses Attractive Character continues to develop as the script is played out in your business journey.  You want your customers to return to you for more products and services the same way they return to the theaters and pay $15 for a $1 tub of popcorn just because they’re character fans and MUST watch the sequels. Sometimes people don’t make sense but they don’t have to if they’re happy and willing to spend the money to stay that way.

Your Offer

Beyond the actual product or service, what do YOU have to OFFER that is different/better than anyone else with the same or similar product/service?

I loved marketing even back in high school.  As an active member, and President of DECA, I was role playing marketing scenarios and figuring out marketing strategies long before social media, Google and SEO.  For 10 years after graduating high school I focused on my teaching and sign language interpreting careers and then for the next 10 years I did those jobs but studied and dreamed about being an entrepreneur.  I learned a lot, tried multiple MLMs, sold random stuff here and there but never took off. It was always crazy to me how 2 people could have the same product and one person could sell a million and the other only sell 100.  I couldn’t figure out why that was, but NOW I KNOW!
Wanna know who told me?  Russell Brunson! Basically what you have to sell isn’t as important as what you have to offer, especially if you’re selling a product or service that hundreds of others have for sale too.  Use your Attractive Character to connect to your Ideal Customers and don’t just sell them a product but give them value and then give them a value ladder they can climb as they continue to do business with you.  If you’re unsure what that is or what this means then order DotCom Secrets and Expert Secrets. They're free and it will change all the traditional thoughts you’ve had about marketing and give you an entirely new perspective on how to finally have success or be able to move from the success point you’ve been stuck at.

Custom Content

Is the content you post connecting your ideal clients to your offer and do they easily recognize it as yours?

From websites and SEO to Social Media conversation, what you post, when you post and how you post all matters.  Content is useless and worthless if it’s not being seen or recognized and if it doesn’t move people to action. Your content should have a purpose: to inform & educate, inspire & motivate, or engage & connect.
Remember your brand? Your Attractive Character? Your offer?  All of this comes together through Custom Content that is created with your specific business, product or service and your customers in mind.  
The best way to do this is to have a plan for both creating new, as well as re-creating and repurposing odler original content.  If you have blogs, posts, pages of a website with information then all of that can be created or repurposed into more content. You can take a single idea, say a blog, and create:
1.  Tweet(s)
2.  Engaging type of FB post or Ad
3.  Graphic for IG, FB, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn
4.  Infographic
5.  Podcast
6.  Youtube video
7.  Explainer/Teaching cartoon video
8.  Use to answer questions on Quora, Reddit, FB groups, online Forums
9.  Email
10. eBook

You can repurpose, recreate and revive, or simply create and multiply.  Whatever you do, create and put out custom content.

Roadmap

Is what you’re using to guide your steps leading you forward and is it lined with all the resources and tools you need on the journey?

Do you have a plan in place and feel good about the direction you’re going and the results you’re getting?  If not, are you feeling overwhelmed or exhausted just looking at this and wondering where or how to start, or re-start?  
The good news is, if you can’t do this there are people out there (like me) who do know how and it’s our job to help you .  We all need a roadmap but if you’ve ever followed printed out directions from Mapquest and ended up on a dead end road in the middle of Miami, late at night, you’ll understand how important it is to not only have the right directions, but have the right tools, or gps, to go along with those directions.  I sure wish I would have had a GPS system that night!
There are more support tools for content creation and social media marketing support than you could possibly ever use.  Some tools you will never need. Other times there’s a tool or software you can get that will replace several tools you’re already using.  It makes the load lighter, and cheaper.

Having a custom roadmap created for you is the first step.  Following the custom path that is developed exclusively for your business that will lead you to success, is your last.  
You wouldn’t drive a Diesel rig down a long road that doesn’t have diesel gas available, so don’t drive your business into areas where the right tools aren’t right there and available for you to keep you moving.  
You have to have a plan and not a cookie cutter, what everyone else is doing, plan either.  Your business has its own path, its own customers, its own products and services. You are unique.  Your marketing path should be too.

Strategize. Plan. Execute!

Creating content is the vehicle you put your information and ads on.  
Marketing that content is the gas that gets it out there in front of people.  
Custom Content Marketing is the map that leads you down the right roads to be seen by the right people, who are as excited to see you as they are their Uber drivers so they flag you down, jump in for the ride and give you their money before they get out!