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Being a small business owner means wearing many hats, and it’s not uncommon for social media to take a back seat when you are juggling many responsibilities. It does, however, present a huge opportunity for growth, and nailing the fundamentals of your brand’s social strategy is key to standing out. Get the basics right, and the rest will follow!
Susan Zwinkels from Kitch Media recently joined us for an Expert Drop-In at Mission Kitchen, offering 1-2-1 advice and guidance to the food start-ups in our community. We asked her to share some of her top tips for navigating the basics of a social media strategy to drive brand awareness, build a community, and increase sales. Read on for some pearls of communications wisdom...
1. Identify Your Brand Objectives
Before you post the latest TikTok trend, pause to identify your brand objectives. Are you aiming to boost brand awareness, drive sales, or foster community engagement? Knowing your goals provides a roadmap for your social media strategy, ensuring every post serves a purpose.
2. Know Your Audience
To be authentic, you need to understand your audience. Take the time to research and analyse your target demographic – their preferences, interests, and pet hates. Tailor your content to resonate with your followers’ needs, creating a personal and genuine connection.
Select the channels best suited to your audience and resources; consider Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn.
3. Quality Over Quantity
In a sea of content, quality stands out. Instead of bombarding your audience, consistently share well-thought-out content. Set yourself a manageable target, this might only be 2 posts per week to start with. Leverage a mix of formats, such as images, videos, and stories, to keep your content diverse and engaging.
4. Content Pillars and Themes
Strategically planning your posts ensures a steady flow of content and allows you to incorporate relevant events or trends.
Organise your content calendar around key pillars or themes. Inject personality and share the story behind your brand; whether it's your products, the faces behind the scenes, or the values that drive your vision. Incorporate third-party mentions or partnerships to boost visibility and foster collaboration.
5. Schedule Your Content
Batch-creating content saves time and helps streamline the process. Take advantage of the Mission Kitchen community and buddy up with another food and drink founder for monthly content creation sessions.
Utilise scheduling tools such as Later, Hootsuite, or Buffer to post content when your audience is most active. This not only maximises visibility but also allows you to maintain a consistent presence without needing to be ‘on’ 24/7.
6. Engage with Your Audience
Social media is a two-way street. Actively engage with your audience by responding to comments, asking questions, and participating in conversations. Building a community requires genuine interaction, turning followers into brand advocates.
Ensure that your profile information is complete and update the links in your bios regularly for a seamless customer journey.
7. Incorporate UGC & Trends
User-generated content (UGC) adds authenticity to your feeds. Encourage your audience to share images or videos related to your brand and repost to show your appreciation.
Keep up to date with key trends, popular sounds, and hashtags to increase your reach online. Experimenting with new features keeps your content fresh and aligns you with platform algorithms.
8. Evaluate and Evolve
Don't forget to monitor the performance of your social media strategy. Identify key metrics to measure your success; including engagement, website traffic, and sales. Analyse the data to understand what's working and what isn't, and be ready to adjust your strategy as needed.
In conclusion...
Investing time in your social media strategy is essential to growing your brand. Have fun and don’t be afraid to show off your story, your products and your unique food business.
If you have a question or need ongoing support, you can contact Susan at Kitch Media via hello@kitchmedia.com
