Do you want to build relationships with your potential and existing customers? What about building loyalty and engaging with new partners? 

Having a social media strategy is the first step to achieving that. Of course, you should take this with some grain of salt: you need to realize that social media strategy cannot replace other marketing tools, but it can certainly be a great addition. Let’s get to the bottom of things: what are the benefits of having a social media marketing strategy?

SMM strategy will help you expand your marketing efforts, i.e., the content you create can simultaneously be visible through multiple platforms that your target audience uses. SMM strategy will increase your brand recognition. Long gone are the days when television, magazines, or billboards were the only means of raising brand awareness. Today, social media allows you to connect to your target audience directly, without anybody standing between you two.

Social media is one of the most powerful ways to reach out to your customers. Thus also becoming a driving force for the word of mouth.  To create a social media strategy you need to create your "buyer persona." The goal of forming your "buyer persona" is to help you understand who is your "ideal buyer." Once you understand who you want to target, you will be able to choose a corresponding social media platform, and with providing relevant content, you will be able to reach your target audience. Once you've created your "ideal buyer" you should define your social media objectives keeping in mind that those have to be in line with the overall business goals. It is very helpful to use the SMART goal setting method; your goals must be specific, measurable, accessible, relevant, and achievable. Having your ideal buyer persona, coupled with your business goals will allow you to build your social media strategy. 

To do so, you need to: 

• Understand the specifics of each social media platform and decide which is the most relevant for promoting your business

• Develop a content plan for each social media platform deriving from your goals

• Identify criteria that will help you measure the effectiveness of your work

• Understand how to engage social media with the rest of the marketing channels

A well-crafted strategy is inevitable in achieving your business goals. So, don't forget to create a relevant and applicable strategy for your social media platforms.