True Social Media ROI is All About Integration

Since the mid-Aughts, social media has offered unparalleled opportunities for connection, communication, and marketing. Whether your organization is focusing on creating awareness or building community among brand advocates, the integration of social media has become a necessity for organizations to stay competitive and relevant in today’s fast-paced, digitally-driven world.

“Social media is not the magic elixir that makes your organization suddenly part of the community. You need a strategic approach and integration into your overall marketing plan to see real results,” says Katie Fuller, Digital Strategist at CEL. 

Incorporating social media channels into your marketing strategy means integrating them with your other tactics, such as search engine optimization (SEO) and public relations to maximize and engage with your target audiences.

Create Cohesion with Social Media

“Social media integration means more than just having a Facebook page, Tik Tok, or Instagram account,” says Katie. “It’s easy to create pages, it’s harder to create a brand personality, community standards, and loyal followers.”

A consistent brand image and message helps organizations achieve marketing goals more effectively by leveraging the strengths of each channel to support and reinforce one another.

For example:

• An email campaign that drives traffic to your Facebook page helps increase the reach of social media content and drives overall engagement.
• A salon that uses Facebook Ads to target users who have expressed interest in a service can drive more appointments.

The increased website traffic, coupled with a well-designed website and clear calls to action, can result in more conversions – filling out an interest form, watching a video, booking an appointment, or subscribing to a newsletter.

It’s important to find the right mix of strategies to achieve your goals and reach your target audience effectively.

Drive Growth with Social Media

One common challenge that organizations face is not seeing a return on their investment of time with social media. However, as Katie reminds us, too often, communicators approach social media without a clear strategy in mind, which can result in wasted time and resources.

For a business, the goal may be an expanded audience to sell more products or drive brand preference. For a school, the desired growth may be to drive kindergarten enrollment or improve staff recruitment.

“Whatever the goal, social media is no longer just an optional addition to your marketing efforts — it’s a necessary component to increase brand visibility, drive website traffic, and ultimately improve the bottom line,” Katie reminds us.

Crafting Your Social Media Strategy

Crafting a successful social media strategy starts with a deep understanding of your target audience. If your audience primarily uses Facebook, a sponsored tweet won’t be as effective as a targeted Facebook ad.

“Effective social media integration starts with understanding your target audience and crafting a tailored strategy that resonates with them,” says Katie. “It’s about creating engaging content that aligns with your brand values and objectives, and leveraging the right platforms to reach your audience where they are.”

Creating a strategy and content calendar that has specific content for each platform is a good start. Larger organizations may have the ability to have different individuals or teams dedicated to each platform separately. Bigger brands even include paid social influencers to aid in achieving their goals by reaching more individuals directly through the influencer.

Avoid These Social Media Blunders

Social media blunders can be costly and damaging to a brand’s reputation, and maybe not in the ways you’re thinking about. Take a look at your branding. Is it consistent? Using the same logo, color scheme, and messaging ensures that your audience recognizes and connects with your brand.

“Ask any designer and they will say there’s nothing worse than seeing rogue social media posts that are off-brand and inconsistent,” says Katie.

Misaligned communications can lead to a lack of trust and decreased engagement.

“Aligning your communications channels and crafting a unified message boosts the efficacy of your reach and engagement,” says Andrew Hagen, Integrated Communications Coordinator. “A unified strategy amplifies your brand’s message.”

​​We’re passionate about helping businesses and organizations leverage the power of social media to achieve their goals. By integrating social media into your overall marketing strategy, you can create a cohesive, effective plan that resonates with your target audience and drives real results.

Whether you’re looking to increase brand visibility, drive website traffic, or boost conversions, our team of social media experts is here to help. We offer various services, from social media strategy development and content creation to community management and analytics tracking.

Don’t let social media be a source of frustration and confusion for your business. Let us help you harness its power and achieve your marketing goals. Contact us today to learn more about how we can support your social media success.

Published on: May 19, 2023