Linley+Lauren’s Top 10 Simple Social Strategies

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Contributed post from Linley+Lauren 

Show of hands… Who feels like you’re spending too much time on your social media without getting any results? And by results, we mean money, honey! If you’re waving your hands in the air like you just don’t care, we have good news for you. Social media for retail CAN be SIMPLE. Here are 10 takeaways from our Simple Social System™ that you can use to start making money through social media instead of just making friends:

1. Change your mind.It’s time to change the way you think about using social media for your business. (Hint: It’s not just for posting.) Here are the three ways you SHOULD be using it for your biz:
   1. Your Mini-Website // Shoppers use social media pages and profiles to check out businesses before they buy, and 80% are more likely to spend with a company if it has a credible Facebook Page. Plus, Facebook is one of the most visited websites in the world, so you better believe if someone searches for your business, your Facebook Page will be a top result.
   2. A Communication Tool // Wouldn’t you like to have a happy hour with your customers every day? The average social media user spends 51 minutes on Facebook and Instagram daily. Consistent posting can keep you in front of your current and potential customers every single day.
   3. A Targeted Advertising Platform // Social media ads are the fastest way to turn online traffic into foot traffic for your business. Read tip #9 for more.

2. Goal for it.Most retailers are on social media because they “have” to be, but they don’t have clear goals for its use. Social media is a vehicle to help you achieve your overall business goals. Create strategic goals for your business first then align your social media content and ads to achieve them.

3. Be social stylin’ and profilin’.Customers have to be exposed to your brand at least seven times before they’re ready to follow you or buy from you. Your touchpoints need to be consistent enough that you start to stand out from the crowd. The easiest way to ensure consistent visual communication – you know, the kind that gets followers to notice you and become your customers – is through the use of a brand style guide. Similar to the proverbial thinking cap, your style guide should become a pair of eyeglasses through which you view all of your brand’s touchpoints.

4. Plan the work.Unfortunately, most businesses dedicate the majority of their social media time to their content, which results in less sales than ads. We work with retailers to plan an entire month’s social media content in an hour or less. That’s right! You CAN create killer content that doesn’t kill you.

5. Work the plan.Did you know it takes the average person almost 25 minutes to get focused on a task? Rather than tackling each social media post one at a time, you can save hours each week by creating images and captions in batches. Once your creative is complete, grab a cup of coffee, a Diet Coke or a glass of rosé (our pick!) and schedule your next week’s posts in one sitting using Facebook and Schedugram, our favorite scheduling tool for Instagram.

6. Don’t leave ’em hanging.If you’ve planned and scheduled your content ahead of time, the only thing left to do each day is respond to social media comments and messages. Make a habit of checking for them at least twice a day. Responsive companies are proven to have better engagement, which helps get their posts placed higher on their followers’ newsfeeds.

7. Don’t sweat the small stuff.While comments and likes can help your content appear in your followers’ feeds, don’t stress out about the number of likes each post receives — particularly on Facebook. The average unpaid post reaches less than 2% of your followers, which is why we rely on social media ads to deliver sales. If you’re anything like us, you’d rather have two likes on a post and $2,000 in your bank account than 2,000 likes and $2 in the bank!

8. Reduce, reuse, recycle.When it comes to your content, don’t reinvent the wheel. Push your highest performing Instagram content to Facebook rather than creating two unique sets of posts. Your social media content should keep your “mini-website” clear of cobwebs so that when your customers come across your page (see tip #1), it’s clear you are open for business. Your ads will ultimately be your money maker, though.

9. Outsmart the algorithm with ads.When used to its fullest potential, Facebook and Instagram’s powerful ad platform allow you to laser target your audience down to their hobbies and how they spend their money. That means you can count on reaching the right people with your message, then get ready to start counting all the money you’re going to make!

10. Give, give, get. Studies show that sales campaigns run after brand awareness campaigns are more successful than standalone campaigns. Boost your social media results by using this strategy in your advertising. Brainstorm non-sales related content that relates to your business. Create a video showing how to create and style several looks from a few pieces available in your store. What’s important is that you give your audience something helpful that relates to what you will eventually sell them. (This strategy is great for your unpaid content too!)

Follow our top 10 tips and you’re sure to see even more social success for your biz. We promise you’ll find that you actually post more and stress less if you simplify your social, make a plan and then work it. See you on social media!