If you don't know where you're going, how will you know that you've arrived?
Devising a usable marketing strategy can be one of the trickiest tasks to complete for many businesses when it comes to social media management. Business owners can become overwhelmed with 'analysis paralysis', arrested by the fear that there's so much to incorporate into the plan; that it will become over complicated and unmanageable, and things will have already moved on by the time the plan is in place! This can make it appealing to stay in the comfort zone, remaining reactive rather than becoming proactive.
Understanding this, the Youbee Media team works your business to deftly create a marketing strategy which is clear, lean, and agile, laying out SMART objectives and check points for your business. The reason that we do this is simple; it ensures that:
- You know where we’re going
- You know why we want to get there
- You know how we plan to get there
- You know who can help make this happen
- You know when we will review whether we’ve got there or not!
- You’ll know what we will do next!
Breaking down ‘The 5 W’s and the H’
In marketing, this is essentially what we call ‘The 5 W’s and the H’ and this forms the basis for your strategy. While you're busy doing other essential things to keep your business thriving, these are the main benefits we'll bring, so you know your unpinning strategy is right:
1) Establish objectives and set goals
What makes Youbee Media different is that we don’t just make a plan and then move on hoping for the best, we work on that plan, set check points and analyse our progress to see whether we’ve met, or are on track to meeting your objectives. SMART objectives ensure that your goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-bound.
For example, one of your SMART objectives may be based on increasing your social media following by 10% by the end of Q1.
2) Understand your business, and get a head start on your competitors
By asking the questions on the ‘5 ‘w’s and the h’, we can get a better understanding of your business and your USP. Every business has one, but what Youbee Media are keen to understand is – what makes you different? How can we use that angle to get a head start on your competitors, before leaving them for dust!
Your strategy will incorporate a SWOT analysis and the 4 P’s (Price, Product, Promotion and Place), to really underpin who you are. If you do have something really special, maybe we can come up with a way of protecting your product or brand and ensuring that all of your future clients knew that you came up with it first!
3) Segmenting your audience
You may already have an established audience, but here at Youbee Media we’re keen to understand more about who they are and what we can learn from them. Based on your objectives, you may also wish to find more people similar to your existing audience, or actually strategically target a different audience.
By targeting your audience, we can ensure that your marketing strategy has the best chance of making an impact. It may even be that we’re able to use data about your existing audience to identify look-a-like audiences to grow your client base.
4) Collaboration tools!
More often than not, your marketing activity doesn’t just involve one person. It can include your network of influencers, partners and suppliers of the business, your team and the people around you. A marketing strategy not only captures who these people are, but also identifies the role they play in bringing your plan to life. Communication is key when it comes to marketing, so let’s share your goals with those that need to know and incorporate their knowledge too.
In summary - don't wing it!
Your marketing campaign will consistently generate better results if you have a plan in place! This is too important an area to just ‘wing it’, leaving some things to chance.
Getting your plan right first time ensures your business is setting off on the right path and has clearly defined objectives, whatever the task in hand, or whatever you're looking to achieve!
If you need social media management advice, work with Youbee Media or join one of Becky’s marketing workshops for expert consultancy support.
