It’s [Tuesday] morning. We’re coming to the end of August. The schools (in Scotland) have gone back. And we’re starting to gear up for Xmas! Yes, I said it! The X-word!

Remember that old adage: If you fail to plan, you plan to fail? Well that is 100% the case when it comes to marketing and PR, whether online or traditional. You need a SMART marketing plan to deliver business results.

However, I’m willing to wager 95% of my festive bonus that businesses are still “winging it” on social media. Hoping against hope that “this post will make the difference” to the bottom line.

Problem is, ‘Winging It’ isn’t a plan.

Neither is Hope.

Neither is relying on the intern, the receptionist or Uncle Bob’s cousin’s niece.

Businesses large and small, newly minted and established, up and down the land may very well have a rough marketing plan that states “I shall do social media regularly” without realising that that isn’t even the beginnings of an online marketing plan.

In social media land, the things you measure are TOTALLY different from traditional marketing.

Traditional marketing campaigns go something like this:

● Create a poster / radio ad / telesales campaign / door drop
● Publish / launch
● Analyse results
● Pay large bill GRUDGINGLY (knowing only 3% of the target audience actually saw / heard your message)

Whereas in social media ville, it’s more like:

● Create an engaging series of posts for the main channels where the customer hangs out
● Ensure the posts double down on the pain or desire of the target audience
● Ensure minimum 3% engagement on every single post
● Ensure 20% new eyeballs who weren’t following the brand, see the post
● Create a series of ads to ensure the target audience can actually find you (they won’t find you if you’re only hanging out in your own newsfeed!)
● Network online
● Pay small bill SMUGLY (knowing 100% of the target audience saw your messages)

Basically, if all you’re doing online is PUBLISHING online, you won’t get any MARKETING or SALES results!

The key to success online is in the magical word: SOCIAL! If your business doesn’t have the capacity to be social, it won’t get any social media results.
We’ve all seen what a mess happens when we let businesses take over Facebook and Linkedin groups with all their constant ‘check me’ yammering. It’s the online equivalent of those people at networking events who have a wodge of business cards they are determined to hand out like free cookies at Xmas.

Or it’s like those earnest artsy folk during the Festival handing out 1000s of fliers per day without chatting to the customer or asking if they’d be interested before handing them out.

When it comes to building an online marketing plan in the run up to Christmas, make sure the business has the right strategy and benchmarks that lead to actual sales, rather than blame social media for not delivering results.

After all, complaining that social media is rubbish at sales and marketing is the equivalent of blaming the telephone for being rubbish at telesales!
OVER TO YOU!

Is your online marketing religiously planned out? Till Xmas and beyond? Sign up for a free 30-minute strategy session. There are only a couple spaces per month so book up now to try to secure one before Xmas.

Remember, unless the business has a DETAILED plan to make 5, 6 or 7-figures per month … it’s not a plan, it’s just a dream!

Bio
Fin Wycherley runs Supersize Media – Scotland’s oldest social media agency and is followed by Barack Obama online along with many other celebrities, organisations and ambitious startups. An accredited Facebook Marketing Partner and Lead Trainer, Fin is also a regular expert speaker on BBC TV and radio.

Book a free Strategy Session to start to get your business geared up for Christmas here –
https://calendly.com/supersizemedia/discoverycall

Find out more at: www.supersizemedia.co.uk

If you’d like to enhance your skills in this area, we have a course running in September to help you build a sales funnel via Instagram.

In October, we’ll also look at advanced Facebook strategies to increase sales at this full day course.