There are those of us that are always ten steps ahead concerning technology and then there are those of us who are deemed old fashioned. Either way, technology is a part of life that you can’t escape, and its presence in business is more prevalent than ever.

Even if you’re a brick and mortar, you will still need to occupy space online. As a business owner either you learn how to navigate your social media marketing efforts or you pay someone else to do it, and when it comes to social media marketing simply posting advertisements and having a website won’t cut it. There has to be a marketing strategy in place just like your offline efforts. Many times this will require creativity, but there are some basics to make social media marketing less intimidating. If you break down your ongoing social media efforts into 3 main parts, it will be a lot easier to build off of.

Brand Awareness Posts – These posts should inform the public of your brand. They should introduce people to your business, and let them know exactly what your business is about without them having to do more research.

Brand Message Posts – These posts should be in line with your brand values. They should represent what the brand stands for, and connect with what your ideal customer wants to see.

Value Posts – These posts should give value. They should let your potential customers and following know that your business knows its industry, has the goods, and can be trusted.

Conquering social media doesn’t have to be a headache. You could perhaps choose a different theme for each day of the week, or refer to an editorial calendar to catch special holidays or themed months you may not know about. When it comes to social media consistency is key. You can have fun with visual media  – known to capture more attention than using just words. Of course, there’s also the powerful use of live streams and videos, but that’s going a little deeper. Ultimately, there is no cookie-cutter way to master social media, but if you find a method that works for you, dive into it.