It is commonly said that if you do not plan then you are planning to fail. Companies and brands need to carefully plan and budget for their social media presence. Social media is here to help build and/or strength corporate/SME or individual brands but if not well used it can damage brands. Jasmine Sandler , discuss the following among things to consider in your company/brand social media budget:
1. Social Media Marketing Strategy
This budget in some cases may have to be delivered by consultants hence would come at cost. Even when delivered by internal company personnel, coming up with strategy will cost time of your marketing team.
2. Social Media Channels/Pages Setup
In the event that you are just stepping in to social media for the first time, social media channel setup will be your first hard cost which may need graphics persons to design custom skins for pages such as Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn (company header) with clear focus that your brand is well represented in all the designs.
3. Content Development
Content marketing it at the center of social media marketing! Without content your social media strategy will be weak. Compelling content takes professionalism in design, writing skills, video production, photography, audio development, and more hence plan for this in your budget.
4. Channel Management
Once you have a working content plan, you’ll need daily management of the social channels that will drive your online brand awareness and engagement. Social media management takes listening, research, staying on top of trends and influencers, and ongoing creative thinking.
5. Social Media Campaigns
There are loads of opportunities to create and deliver display ad and PR campaigns within the social networks. In doing so, cost factors include: design, goal-setting, analytics and reporting, and of course, outreach and management. Best practices at a minimum for any serious social media marketer include one strong targeted campaign per quarter.