Get Started on Your Social Media Plan (Because It Matters to Your Customer Marketing)

Your company probably has a social media presence. But if you're not incorporating social media into your customer marketing strategy, you could be missing out.

After all, you've spent valuable time and money building your customer base, and you've also worked to amass a growing community of followers on your social media channels. But have you integrated those efforts in an effort to expand your customer base, keep current customers engaged, and increase profits?

Take the following three steps to help you make sure you do.

1. Develop a social media marketing plan

Without a plan, your social activity runs the risk of turning off customers instead of tuning them in, derailing corporate objectives, and tarnishing your company's reputation.

So, no matter where you are in the social moment, take time now to evaluate (or create) your strategy, keeping the following in mind:

Check your goals. Social efforts must support corporate and marketing goals, from big-picture aims (building brand awareness, boosting revenue) to short-term targets (generating event attendance, maximizing offer response).

Know your social customers. Chances are, not all of your customers are regular social media users. Find out who is, what channels they prefer, and what type of content they want to see from you in that space.