Creating a social media marketing strategy for Facebook isn’t the easiest task to take on, but it is important. Your Facebook page is essentially an extension of your business and brand.

Aligning all social media marketing efforts with your business goals is the perfect way to get started. Now sure how? Take a look at a few key areas you will need to address before putting your plan into action!

#1 A Social Media Objective

All great social media strategies begin with an objective. What are you trying to achieve as a business, and how will social media help you business achieve those goals. Are you looking to improve your image? Increase sales over the next year? These are the types of objectives that will help to shape your social media strategy. Keep in mind that all objectives should be relevant and attainable. By creating unrealistic expectations for your business through social, you will never be able to succeed.

#2 Do Your Research

Do you know your social media competition, or your target demographic? If you answered no, then you will need to begin your research with defining those two areas. Although you don’t want to copy what other competitors are doing, it is good to see what works for them and how you can add their successful elements to your social strategy. Find out if they are just using Facebook for their business, or if they have found other platforms to help move along their social media objectives.

Knowing your target demographic is another part of your social media strategy. Who are you trying to reach? Once you’ve determined your audience, you will be able to truly begin laying out your strategy and coming up with ways to reach these specific individuals through social.

#3 Create or Enhance Your Facebook Page

If you are new to the social world, you will need to create a business page, and if you already have an account, then a little sprucing may be in order. When working on enhancing or creating your Facebook page,keep in mind your social media strategy and create content and graphics to compliment it. Use your cover photo to promote the product you are looking to launch, or showcase a great review to help create a buzz around your new image. Your Facebook page is the perfect place to begin putting your strategy to work and start reaching those goals.

Now that you have the basics, you are ready to start getting your social media strategy on its’ feet. Get started by creating an editorial calendar and testing out posts and ads to see how effective they are or if they need tweaks. Your social media strategy will be a work in progress, but as long as you keep you objectives in mind…you will be prepped for success!