How to beef up your social media strategy, even on a low budget
We all know that social media is free to use, but the truth is, some of the most successful brands invest a lot into their social media strategies. Between running social ads, designing graphics, creating analytics reports and hiring a social media manager, the costs add up quickly. However, if you don’t have a big budget to spend on your social media efforts, you’re not doomed to fail – you’ve just got to think outside the box.
Low-budget doesn’t necessarily mean low-quality – you’d be surprised at how much you can achieve on social media with a little ingenuity. Keep reading to discover our favourite low-budget social media hacks.
Don’t skip analytics
Analytics are essential for creating a successful social media presence – you won’t know what’s working and what’s not until you crunch the numbers. Luckily, each social media platform has its own set of analytics tools that monitor your engagement, impressions, follower counts and much more.
While some platforms’ tools are more comprehensive than others – Facebook’s are particularly useful – they’re all helpful for creating your own monthly analytics reports if reporting tools like Hootsuite don’t fit in your budget.
Be responsive
This tip doesn’t cost you anything but your time. One of the big keys to social media success is relationship building. Audience members who feel like they “know” your brand will be more willing to answer your calls to action. Do your best to respond to most of the comments you receive on social media; use them as an opportunity to start a conversation.
Plus, the more comments and shares your content gets, the higher it rises in the algorithms – and chances are, your audience will start to grow.
Watch what’s #trending
Creating content can take a lot of time, creativity and money, which is why content curation is such a popular (and effective) option. Instead of continually cranking out original content every day, there’s nothing wrong with occasionally sharing someone else’s content as long as it’s relevant to your audience, and you give credit where credit is due. Paying attention to what’s trending is a great way to do this – you’ll find an endless source of curation inspiration that way. Just add a thoughtful, on-brand caption and hit that “share” button.
Check out free tools
Many incredible social media marketing tools are free, or at least have free versions. Why not try them out to see which work best for your organization? Here are a few of our favourites:
Outsource your efforts
If your budget has a little wiggle room, consider outsourcing your social media marketing to an agency rather than hiring someone in-house. Agencies have all the tools already on hand – social media management platforms, analytics tools, graphic design programs, you name it – so you won’t have to purchase your own software. Plus, outsourcing is an excellent way to save yourself time and stress – which is pretty priceless, honestly.
Looking for an agency to help out with your social media management efforts? Get in touch with us – we’d love to chat!