5 Questions to Answer About Social Media for the New Year

Ok, so the following list may not be novel and you probably are quickly saying how obvious this stuff is, but isn’t it often the case that the most obvious stuff is the easiest to overlook? So let’s get started…

1. Do you have a social media profile where it matters?

This may sound like an odd question given the subject matter. If you are reading this then you likely have some interest in the subject, but you may be surprised that even you haven’t considered fully what you have and how it is constructed. Is it optimized for the type of business you run and have you considered what your social media profile is communicating the moment the visitor arrives? Maybe you don’t even have a profile on the platform where you should be?

2. Have you updated your social media profile?

You would be amazed how many businesses move, expand, change contact information or even remove elements of the business and never reflect that in social media. Like your website that needs to be monitored, your social media must receive periodic TLC to remain current.

3. What is your plan for social media this year?

If your answer is “the same as last year” then you better sit down now and work out a plan. Social media is one of the most cost effective tools for achieving increased brand awareness and prospect conversions to clients. Trying to realize the outcome by setting and forgetting this tool is like raw popcorn in the cupboard – full of potential but no practical use.

4. How does social media fit with the rest of your marketing plan?

News flash, social media isn’t the only arrow in your quiver so stop looking at it that way. Resources are limited…I get that…but your business needs to benefit from as many tools as you can afford and manage properly.

5. What is your marketing budget for the year?

You knew I was going to get to money at some point didn’t you? No matter how many business owners I speak with, I regularly hear the same things. It goes like this…
Q – Do you have a budget for marketing?
A – Yes
Q – What is it as a percentage of income?
A – Not sure
Q – Do you know how much you spent last year on marketing?
A – Roughly
Conclusion – so you really don’t know.
Don’t do this to your business this year. It takes money to make money – period – and that includes social media. How much you spend is dependent upon too many factors to discuss here, but suffice to say it’s some amount. You better figure out what that number is and then resolve to start using it to the benefit of your business today.

About the Author – Andrea Visser is a partner at AllyMark which offers its social media management tools through its BizSocially product offering. BizSocially is designed to make social media easy for the business owner through its various turnkey services. Engineered to remove the guesswork and create consistency at a cost that is manageable for any size business, BizSocially can get your business on the right track with social media today.