In the saturated world of social media, cutting through the noise has gotten, well, really hard. We’re inundated with posts 24/7, and social managers are constantly adapting to changes and learning new skills to even have a chance at their posts seeing the social light. When it comes to executing a seamless social media marketing strategy, you have to make sure you’ve covered all of your bases—and we’re here to help.It’s time to Marie Kondo your social media strategy—out with what’s not working and in with what is. If you’re a budding, doe-eyed social editor looking for tips on how to hone in on your social media plan, or interested in why data and analytics play a pivotal role in your long-term strategy, here’s how you can master the social media-sphere from start to finish.First, let’s get this out in the open: Social media shouldn’t be overlooked. It is important, in fact, 81 percent of marketers have integrated their social and traditional marketing efforts. Social media’s attention seeking, eager to please sibling—paid advertising (like Facebook Advertising)—often takes the spotlight for driving the most traffic and having the highest return on investment (ROI)—and for a good reason. Social media has become a pay-to-play market, further placing emphasis on quality, attention-grabbing content. And we’re back to square one: organic social media—because brand awareness and brand presence is just as critical, and often the first step on the user journey.Organic traffic is dwindling, and new social media algorithms make it harder for brands to get eyes on their content. Focusing on quality and engaging content still holds merit, but paid social continues to flourish. This is where the goals of organic and paid social split: The former is meant to curate a brand presence, build awareness, and drive traffic—you’re just beginning to nurture the user on their purchasing journey—whereas the latter is focused on optimizing the user to convert—it’s another touchpoint along the user’s path to conversion. Paid social ads will reach more eyes, but you still need a baseline to fall back on, as organic social supports paid media efforts—the two work hand-in-hand. Your social presence is a place where users can be more intimate with your brand, which helps guide them through the funnel.

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