You may be wondering how to go about developing a social media presence that gets results,
drives traffic to your website and morphs into a bevy of new prospects, customers or clients that
are eager to learn more about your business.

This may seem like an impossible task for someone who knows very little about social networks.

With all the other daily "to dos" on your plate, you may be wondering how you could possibly carve
out time each day to monitor a number of social media accounts.

Like any other activity you plan to undertake, a well thought out strategy is key to its success.


A good place to start is by looking at your goals and prioritizing them.  

For example:

   (1)   Your number one focus may be to bring in a specific number of prospects a month that you can
           potentially turn into customers/clients.

   (2)   Branding your company so individuals will recognize and associate its name and logo in a
           positive manner may also be on the top of your list.

It’s important to zero in on exactly what you want social media to do for you so you can tailor your
campaign to that end.

Clear objectives will help you to maximize the time you spend growing your social media presence.

When you’re first starting off with your social media campaign, you’ll want to focus on setting achievable
goals.  It will take time to establish yourself and your company, build relationships and cultivate them.

Think of it the same way as you would tending a garden.  If you want to have a high-yield, you’ll need to
carefully plan it out before you plant.  You have to prepare the soil, select healthy plants, feed and water
them so you’ll get the desired results.

A major turn off on social media is someone that immediately starts their “pitch” on whatever their business is.  
You wouldn’t walk into a party and immediately start flinging your business card at everyone there, would you?

The same rules apply here.  Focus on the “social” aspect of these marketing vehicles.

The next item on your social media marketing checklist should be “Customer/Client Type.

What characteristics will your ideal customer/client possess?

Use your existing customer base as a guide, provided that you’ve taken the time to get to know your
customers/clients.

What makes them a target audience?  Is it age, income level, occupation, location?  Build a profile of these
demographics so you’ll have a clear cut vision of who you’ll need to capture the interest of.

Look for more social media marketing tips in Part II of “Your Social Media Marketing Strategy”