Thanksgiving is (finally) here! Tomorrow, we get to dig into arguably the largest and best meal of the year, and I know THuS is excited. Turkey, stuffing, green bean casserole, and let's not forget the dessert! Whether you are a pumpkin pie versus an apple pie person, this is one part that cannot be left out. Every multi-course meal has some type of dessert that we all save room for. It is integral to the experience.
When done tactfully, the dessert appeals to all guests and can tie the whole meal together. However, this requires giving guests a constant reminder to 'save room for dessert.' Not to mention, not everyone has a sweet tooth! So how do you appeal to them as well? You've promised that something just as delicious as the rest of the meal is coming. So how do you deliver?
The Thanksgiving dessert is the social media strategy aspect of the overall marketing plan. It's the part that varies in importance from person to person and requires a slight 'build-up.' Social media marketing has been in the picture for some time now, but being forced to move most businesses to the virtual world was the encouragement necessary to appeal to the masses. This unique moment was the "save room for dessert" that social media marketing needed to become important to entities other than influencers and celebrities.
In saying that, how do we find the 'dessert' that will be the most appealing?
We combine all the ingredients we have discussed in other blogs this month: an audit and the constant perfecting of your content.
When planning Thanksgiving dinner, the chances are that your grandmother or your uncle knows the one dessert guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser for the whole family! How? Through trial and error, years of making the wrong dish until the one that finally appeals to everyone is discovered--an audit of what works and what does not.
Once it has been determined that absolutely nobody in your family appreciates your pecan pie but instead loves your homemade apple pie, it's time to perfect it. Does your family enjoy it with just a dash of cinnamon? Or are they more concerned about the type of apples?--This is the content. The content is the driving factor for social media marketing, just as it is for your family's favorite dessert. Figuring out what content will appeal to your target audience converts social media engagement into buying customers and potential clients. It's what ensures that everyone at the table will save room for that slice of pie.
The overall strategy behind warming the family up to the perfected apple pie requires a cohesive plan that can adapt as new factors come into the picture. As new people marry into the family or taste buds change, it becomes more challenging to please everyone, but the job must be done.
For social media marketing, the same adaptability is required, which is why creating a plan that's integral to your business is of utmost importance. Assembling the pie that no one can resist or replicate is the ultimate goal of social media marketing.
So this Thanksgiving, ask everyone at the table what their favorite dessert is. If you already know the answer, ask how it can be improved to satiate everyone's appetite better, then apply this method to your social media strategy--you'll be surprised at how effective this is!