We wrote the below in early 2012. Now that we’re into the start of a new year we are finding that this blog has become a key draw to our website. So instead of rewriting this content to reflect our situation today, we’ve left it to stand and added a caveat.
As an FYI, we did not reach all our targets. Some we set aside as we rebranded; others were not achievable due to our limited time resource.
Setting our social media marketing goals though has been invaluable to the growth and direction of our business. We hope this will assist you.
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Happy 2012! Isn’t it funny how a new year can mentally make you feel so refreshed and focused? I didn’t unplug for any extended period, yet I feel recharged and ready to tackle a new year. And what an awesome year it’s going to be.
Today, 3rd January is our second birthday. Yes, BizEez Virtual Solutions [we’ve had a rebrand since this blog post] turned the BIG 2! As you can imagine I’m elated to not only be running my own business full-time in an industry I am so passionate about, but now the years are increasing so are the opportunities and growth.
My personal belief is that most business growth comes through building strong customer relationships and of course I advocate social media as the perfect tool to build these relationships. Yet, I still find many companies who use social media not taking it seriously. Without creating a social media marketing strategy with measurable goals, these companies are just drifting through the social media landscape.
It is easy enough to do, so before the new year fades into memory and you become bogged down into the day to day of business, check your current metrics using whatever system you like such as Google Analytics, Facebook Insights or Blog comments and set some goals. Track subscriber rates, new comments, visitors, and even by how many people re-tweet and or share your information. Then, pick a specific time each week or month to look at your data again. Simple to do if you put it all in a spreadsheet.
To help you define your social media goals for 2012 and for the purposes of being both transparent and accountable, here are some of the BizEez 2012 Goals.
Blog/website
Metrics system: Google Analytics / MailChimp
- Set up an e-commerce store on website and add more services and products (must be completed by end of March)
- Increase website visitors to 300 per day by the end of 2012
- Increase subscriber rate by 5 new subscribers per week
- Page one ranking on Google for 3 search optimised keywords by end of 2012
- Write a blog at least 2 days a week – one on topic of choice each Wednesday & other on Weekly Wrap-up each Saturday.
Metrics system: Facebook Insights
- Increase page numbers (fan LIKEs) to 1000 by the end of 2012
- Increase engagement – at least 20 comments and 4 shares per week by mid-year. Double that by end of 2012
- Weekly total reach – over 10,000 each week
Metrics system: Twitter
- Increase Followers to over 5000 by end of 2012
- Maintain at least 10 RTs per week
- Increase engagement to at least 30 @s per week (replies to comments or conversations)
I actually use a more detailed analysis system than the ones mentioned here as well as other social media networks, however I really just wanted to demonstrate how simple the process can be.
Start the 2012 business year with a clear sense of purpose when it comes to social media. We’ve set our goals, so now it’s just about the action! Actually, now it’s time for a little bubbly and cake to enjoy our 2nd birthday celebrations.
Until next time…..
