SHARJAH – Novice and new professional social media users got handy tips and advice on how to set up a social media strategy for themselves in practical terms at the Sharjah International Book Fair 2019 yesterday.
Hosted by marketing expert Zyad Tarek, participants learnt the fundamentals of setting up a social media presence and what could be gained from an effective strategy in a session called, ‘Developing an Actionable & Achievable Social Media Strategy.’
According to Zyad, an effective social media marketing strategy is a summary of everything you plan to do and hope to achieve on social media. It guides your actions and lets you know whether you’re succeeding or failing. Every post, reply, like, and comment should serve a purpose, he said.
“Too many people think that just having a presence on social media platforms or expecting results without investing money and time is good enough, or use it just for selling their products and services and that definitely won’t work as a strategy,” he said.
Zyad is a former Social Media Marketing Manager and now owner of Oventure, a consultancy that manages social media and events for clients. Here are his 8 Steps to Create a Social Media Strategy:
1.Set social media marketing goals that align to business objectives; 2.Learn everything you can about your audience; 3.Research the competition; 4.Conduct a social media audit; 5.Set up accounts and improve existing profiles; 6.Find inspiration; 7.Create a social media content calendar; 8.Test, evaluate, and adjust your strategy.
“Whilst that might seem like a lot, there are some great apps out there which can help you,” says Zyad who recommends Canva for making attractive designs on posts; Hootsuite for managing and scheduling your social media; Quintly for analysing your social channels; Quik for making videos and Splice for adding sound.
“But ultimately what is important is to produce content of quality not quantity. There is already so much content out there, that the only way to stand out and get results is to ensure yours is better,” he add.
