This document provides a 7 step guide to creating a social media strategy for small businesses. Step 1 is to identify your target audience. Step 2 is to define your message. Step 3 is to set goals for your social media presence. Step 4 is to brainstorm content ideas. Step 5 is to set a budget and schedule. Step 6 is to set limits and benchmarks. Step 7 is to experiment, test, and measure the effectiveness of your strategy. The document then provides tips and best practices for using key social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest to engage customers and grow your business.

1.
Social Media:
7 Steps to Success

2. Does Social Media
overwhelm you?
Does your small business have
a social media strategy in
place? Most small businesses
only think of social media as an
after thought. Facebook has
over 1.65 BILLION users and
23% of those users log in at
least 5 times per day!
Consider all the opportunities to interact and engage with
your customers and potential customers through social
media. What if I told you that you could create a social
media strategy in just 7 simple steps? This simple method
can be created quickly and implemented in about an hour
per week.
This ebook will show you how to accomplish just that and
easily get on track with social media.

3. How Popular is Social Media
Anyway?
72% of all Internet users are now active on social media. 71% of users access
social media from a mobile device. Google is now penalizing websites that are
not mobile friendly. This means those not optimized for mobile will show up
lower on the search engine rankings. Facebook is now the premier player
among all web properties in terms of time spent – and that means engagement.
Video is key to your social media presence. If you aren’t doing video – you
should be!
Every day people watch hundreds of millions of hours on YouTube and
generate billions of views.
The number of hours people are watching on YouTube each month is up
50% year over year.
300 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute.

4. Step One:
Identify Your Target Audience
Consider the audience you are really trying to reach. Where do they spend most
of their time online and how can you best help them? Once you have this “ideal
client” clearly defined, do a quick Google search to figure out which social
media platforms make the most sense to focus on.
Who are you trying to reach?
Be specific. Don’t worry about excluding someone. The more clearly defined the
“who” is, the better you are able to target the message across platforms. Know
your demographics. Clearly define your target market to make it easier for you
to reach them online. Create an “avatar” of your ideal client(s) – name them, give
them a background and think about ways you can help them.
Where can you build the greatest community around your brand?
Each platform offers something different to users. Consider who your best
clients (or raving fans) are and where they most likely spend their time on social
media.
What keeps them up at night?
Find a way to show your existing and
potential clients how your product or
service solves a need or pain point for
them. Offer them information that the
competition isn’t. Always be asking
yourself, “What’s in it for THEM?”
Types of Audiences
Current client list
Leads
Vendors
Associates of Leads or
Vendors
Press
Industry Experts
Bloggers
Community Leaders
Affiliates

5. Step Two:
Clearly Define Your Message
You need to share information online that matters to your clients. How can you
help them? A good way to get started in defining your message is to make a list
of frequently asked questions and start by answering them.
What are your customer’s biggest pain points?
Determine what your clients are focused on and help solve those
problems for them. This will help to determine where to focus.
How are you best able to help your clients?
This is the “Why You” question. Determine how you specifically can help
your clients. A great way to answer this question is to ask those who
know best – YOUR EXISTING CLIENTS! Most people love to share. There
is a reason they chose you. Ask them and that will help you figure out
who it is you serve and how you can help others like them.
How can you use social media to provide that information?
Once you have a clear picture of “who” your target audience is and you
know their pain points you can focus on the best platforms and
information to share with them to start building a raving community that
wants to hear form you and share it with others.
Show your clients how much you
care about them and they will
reward you by sharing your
information and ultimately your
business.

6. Step Three:
Determine Your Goals
These goals can be anything from simply connecting with your clients, to
building your email list, selling more of your product, or getting people into your
place of business. Be realistic and as specific as possible with your goals.
Goals can be anything from “building an e-mail list” to “getting more online
sales” or “bringing people in the door.” It depends on how your business
operates and how you use social media and your website to interact with your
customers.
What do you hope to gain from social media?
Be realistic and specific with your goals. Want to increase sales? How
much? Increased engagement with your clients to keep you “top of mind.”
What counts as a “successful conversion”?
Put a number to it. Whether it be a 10% increase in sales, 5 new clients
each week or 15% increase in followers or engagement on various social
media platforms.
How to run “conversions”
into PROFITS?
Keep in mind people do
business with people. Build
relationships and the Know,
Like & Trust. If you can find
a way to give, provide
information, support, or
even a laugh – people will
be more inclined to do
business with you down the
road.

7. Step Four:
Brainstorm Your Offerings
Creating and offering value is what will make you stand out in social media.
Adding to the noise isn’t a good strategy. However, adding value and sharing it
with your market is.
POWER Content
Sharing valuable, informative content helps increase engagement with
followers and position your business as an excellent source of
information. There is so much information available and lots of resources
to help you find it. Summarize, add your own spin and share it with your
followers.

8. Types of Content
You can utilize quotes, text, photos and video. It’s recommended that
every post should have a photo (or video). Live video is even better!
Repurpose Content
Use your blog posts or newsletters to create posts or tweets. You can
repeat your content as long as you are certain to spread it out. Even if it
means you can only spend an hour a week on social, do it consistently. If
you post for a week straight and then go MIA for a month, your followers
will stop paying attention.
Tone of Voice
Authenticity is key in social media. If you try to be someone that you
aren’t’ in real life, your clients will see through it. Be yourself!

9. Step Five:
Set a Budget & Schedule
Think about how much time you can dedicate to social media. Be honest with
yourself. It typically takes longer than you expect, especially when you are first
getting started.
How much time, money, talent and energy can you dedicate?
You can’t do it all so be realistic. It will typically take longer than expected,
cost more than you think, and you may need to seek out “experts” or do
some training. Be honest with how much it will really take to build your
social media presence.
Who is in charge?
Is it going to be you managing, creating, curating and scheduling
content? Are you going to hire someone else to help you? Consider how
involved you want it to be. It’s important!
What will you outsource?
If you are going to outsource –
what will you outsource? Will
you have a hand in what is
being posted? Will it be “your
voice”, but someone else
putting it on images, creating
videos, writing blog posts,
etc.?

10. Step Six:
Set Limits & Benchmarks
Determine which platforms are best for your business and then be consistent
with your posts. It takes time to build an audience online. A good
recommendation is to stick with it for at least six months, at a minimum.
Which platforms work best for you?
What content will you post?
How often will you post content?
Schedule time to produce or curate content to share.
Determine how you will measure success.
Which types of post get the most engagement?
Diode Digital found that video promotion is 600% more effective than print and
direct mail combined. They also found that, before reading any text, 60% of site
visitors would watch a video, if available.
Even short videos from your phone are ok to use. It doesn’t have to be a
professional video to get engagement. If video isn’t your thing, you should definitely
use images to portray your message.
Visuals are processed 60,000x faster by the brain than text. 90% of all information
transmitted to the brain is visual. These posts are 40% more likely to be shared.

11. Step Seven:
Experiment, Test & Measure
Monitor where, when and what is getting the most engagement from your
audience. Adjust accordingly.
Set a time limit.
Aim for several months, at the least. Then stick to your strategy for that
amount of time before you start messing with it. Once you have an idea
for what people are engaging with you can start to tweak what you post.
Monitor engagement.
Check your insights and reports on various platforms on a regular basis.
Make it a part of your process.
Adjust strategy accordingly.
Identify what is working and what isn’t so that your social media strategy
can be optimized regularly.

12. Can you schedule it?
Use social media management &
scheduling tools.
There are so many Social Media Management tools available that it can be quite
overwhelming when trying to pick which will best fit your business and your
budget.
Among my favorites are:
BufferApp – Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Linkedin for sharing content.
Hootsuite – Great platform for social media management, manage multiple
platforms, schedule and engage your audience. Uses reports for measuring ROI.
The monthly price for this service is affordable as well.
Commun.it – Twitter relationship dashboard, analyzes relationships and
provides insights.
Post Planner – For Facebook and Twitter, includes content ideas, connects
with Canva for creating custom branded content. Also has a low monthly price.
Facebook – Best when schedule Facebook posts to just manually do it in
Facebook. You can use scheduling tools, but Facebook penalizes meaning your
post won’t be shown to as many followers. Also, always upload videos to
Facebook natively – don’t link to YouTube!

13. You CAN Do It!!
Relax. Aim to build a reputation for being helpful and providing value and, most
of all, for being a real human being.
Schedule Time.
Block off time on your calendar every week to focus strictly on your social
strategy and scheduling posts. Even if it’s only an hour. If possible, create
a calendar of what you will share where and when for the month. This will
help you stay on top of everything.
Focus
Focus on one tool/platform at a time. Don’t try to hop on every social
platform just because your competition is there. It’s better to be the BEST
on 1 platform than to be mediocre on many.
Don’t Worry About Being Perfect
It’s Social Media, not brain surgery. You don’t need to worry about
everything being perfect before it goes live.

14.
Social Media:
Tips and Tricks

15. Platform Spotlight:
Facebook Marketing
Facebook = “Friends and Family”
People use Facebook to connect with friends and family
online.

16. Platform Spotlight:
Facebook Marketing
1. Setup a Facebook Business Page
First, you need to setup a Facebook Business Page. You should NOT use your
personal Facebook account to market your business or service. But, you must
have a personal Facebook account to setup a Business Page.
Why? A Business Page offers a level of professionalism that you can’t get on
your personal page. If you don’t have a business page, you will be missing out
on a lot of great features Facebook offers for business pages such as
advertising, contests, statistical insights, etc.
It’s really easy to make a Facebook Business Page and it’s worth the effort.
From your personal Facebook Page, click on the little triangle in the top right
corner of your page, then click on “Create Page”. This will bring you to a series
of screens that will walk you through your Business Page setup.

17. Platform Spotlight:
Facebook Marketing
2. Post About Your Local Area
First, you can post about the neighborhood or area where you are located. It
allows you to showcase your knowledge and passion in regards to what ingrains
you as a community member. You can post about local events. If you’re going
to a neighborhood event, tell your followers and invite them to join you. Ask
questions too – to spark engagement.
3. Use Images When You Post
Images are the most engaging type of content you can share. When your posts
get more Likes, shares and comments then they will be viewed in the newsfeeds
of the friends of your Facebook Fans. Fans are people who Like your Facebook
page.
4. Use Geo-targeted Ads
Third, you can purchase Facebook Ads.
Facebook lets you target your ads very
specifically, through a series of demographic
questions including location, age and interests.
It allows you to reach an audience other than
the people who have liked your page. Facebook
Ads are very affordable. You can set a daily
budget or an ad lifetime budget.
You can see in this example from Bond Real
Estate in New York that they have posted a
great photo image, taken in a local
neighborhood, speaking about something all
New Yorkers recognize, the Citibank Bikes
people can borrow.

18. Platform Spotlight:
Facebook Marketing
5. Engage with Your
Customers/Clients with a
Contest
Facebook contests are fun, and are a great way
to promote engagement both with your Fans
and with their friends. There are many apps that
help you run a professional contest, but some
of the best ones are a simple photo or vote
contest.
6. Feature Your
Customers/Clients
You do this in person so show you care
about your clients on your Facebook
Page as well.
7. Post Your Products
The golden rule in social media is 80/10.
That means 80% of your posts should be content about lifestyles, customer
interests, and other updates. Only post 20% of self-promotional content about
your company, your services or your products. This keeps your social media
engaging, not just self-promoting.

19. Platform Spotlight:
Twitter Marketing
While Facebook is considered the “family & friend get-together”, Twitter is like
the “Cocktail Party”. It provides quick, mobile opportunities to keep connected
to your customers and clients.
Twitter gives you 140 characters (or less) to give updates to your Followers. Use
it to engage and strengthen your relationships. Unlike Facebook, you do not
have to have a separate business account to utilize business features. Once
you’ve activated the advertising section, you can run paid ads and have access
to all the Twitter Analytics of your account. It’s your choice whether you want to
tweet as a brand, or as yourself.
Here are examples of two accounts that are branded differently.
But it’s not for everyone. I, personally, am not a fan of Twitter because it’s
information overload for me. However, many of my clients have a great following
on Twitter so we keep them engaged there. Folks use Twitter for different
reasons than they do Facebook, so the audience and their behavior is very
different.

20. Platform Spotlight:
Twitter Marketing
1. Tweet Tips & Helpful Hints in Your Industry
Help out your clients (and yourself) by teaching them how to be experts within
your sphere of influence. Post links to good, industry-specific articles and
videos. Teach, train and inspire.
2. Tweet Local News
Many folks use Twitter as their morning newspaper to find out what’s going on
locally or is featured in the news. This helps build a local community and
enhances engagement.
3. Tweet Questions and Encourage Responses
Post questions to your followers to encourage a response. This could spark
multiple conversations and draw new followers in.

21. Platform Spotlight:
Twitter Marketing
4. Use #Hashtags
Using hashtags gets your Tweets seen by more than just your Followers –
anyone who is following a particular hashtag or does a subject search can find
your tweets.
5. Use @Mentions
Mentions allows you to direct your message to another Tweeter, either a person
or organization – it alerts them when they’ve been mentioned so they are sure to
see your tweet. You can also use direct messages but this format allows the
message to be seen publically.
6. Tweet About Your Products
Again, use the 80/20 rule. 80% of you content should be industry related and
only 20% should be about what your company is doing.

22. Platform Spotlight:
Pinterest Marketing
Pinterest is the fourth largest social networking site.
It’s all about connecting through images. On Pinterest, you set up boards, pin
images, and engage your audience by repining, liking and commenting.
In this example, Coldwell Bankers Pinterest account has public interest boards
like “homes for dogs project”. Then they also have logical boards like “Home of
the Week”, “Incredible Homes”, and “Dream Kitchens.”

23. Platform Spotlight:
Pinterest Marketing
1. Setup a Neighborhood/Local Area Board
Sell the area where you work. Create a Board about the amenities, shops and
services that are available in your community.
2. Setup a Board About Your
Area of Business
Show who you are as well. Set up Boards about
your hobbies. If you like to cook, post some of
your favorite recipes. If you like to play tennis,
post about tennis groups and where to play
tennis in your locale.
3. Setup a Lifestyle Board
Appeal to the inner designers on Pinterest and show off beautiful photos of
projects that appeal to you. Link to how to sites related to your business.

24. Platform Spotlight:
Pinterest Marketing
4. Setup a Board for Your Products or Services
Remember the 80/20 rule but make sure you have
a Board specifically for your business. Your clients
expect it and active Pinners will see them.
5. Use #Hashtags
Pinners use Hashtags as well, just like on Twitter.
You connect with a specific market and extend
your posting reach beyond just your following. Use
hashtags that are specific to your niche and your
community. Use geographic specific tags like
#CentennialCO or image specific tags such as
#decorate and #newhome.
6. Cross-Promote on Facebook
You can also cross-promote your Pinterest page with what is called a Facebook
Tab. Expand your social reach by allowing Facebook visitors to see your
Pinterest updates without leaving Facebook. It’s not complicated to setup.
Facebook has easy-to-follow instructions on setting up tabs. It will foster more
engagement across all of your social channels.
Pinterest isn’t for everyone, but it can be powerful if you can actively maintain
your pins and share the content of others.

25. Social Media Success:
Resources
Create a Facebook Business Page
https://www.facebook.com/business/learn/set-up-
facebook-page
Facebook Ads
https://www.facebook.com/business/products/ads/
Twitter Basics
https://support.twitter.com/groups/50-welcome-to-twitter
Twitter for Business
https://business.twitter.com/help/build-your-base
Tips for Your LinkedIn Profile
http://www.forbes.com/sites/laurashin/2014/10/20/how-to-
create-the-idea-linkedin-profile/
Pinterest for Business
https://business.pinterest.com/en-gb/set-your-business-
account
Content Sources
www.Feedly.com
Places to Find Free Stock Images
http://benrequena.com/find-free-stock-images/

26. Socially Powered
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