How to Boost Your Social Media Traffic with Automation: A Step-by-Step Guide

Hey hustlers! So you have a business that's just started to grow, or, you've been hired by someone to grow their social channels. Managing social media to grow your business can be very rewarding, but it requires meticulous planning before you see results.

As someone who've been behind the scene, managing a team of experts or doing it myself, I've learnt loads through a trial and error than through a professional course. Why? Because each business is different. And it's up to you to set up a foundation so that you understand how your followers/ uses and customers respond on what you have on offer.

Here I have some vital and practical guidelines. Most of these you really need to sit and think, compare data and re-craft until you get something. Patience and consistency is key.

Contents.

1. Define your value proposition

2. Set clear goals

3. Choose the right social media platform

4. Select the right automation tools

5. Create an content calendar

6. Craft engaging content

7. Optimize post timings

8. Automate post scheduling

9. Leverage evergreen content

10. Engage with your audience

11. Monitor analytics

12. Stay informed about trends

1. Define your value proposition

First and foremost, you must define the value proposition of your offer. Ex: If your offer revolves around content, it's crucial to craft content that aligns with the interests and preferences of your buyer personas. However, selecting the appropriate format for your content can be challenging.

When creating your content offer, identify the short-term outcome you aim to achieve with it. Be clear about the purpose and the specific results you want to see. Simultaneously, think about the broader perspective and how this piece of content fits into your long-term strategy. Understanding the long-term impact of the content will help you make informed decisions about its creation and promotion.

Moreover, don't forget to consider your visitors' goals and their position in the buyer's journey. Tailor your content to address their needs, questions, and pain points at each stage of the journey. By doing so, you'll be able to nurture leads and guide them smoothly through the conversion process.

2. Set clear goals

Define your objectives for using social media automation. Whether it's increasing website traffic, generating leads, or enhancing brand awareness, knowing your goals will help you tailor your automation strategy. To navigate this decision, always keep your SMART goals in mind. SMART goals refer to objectives that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely.

2. Choose the right social media platforms

Focus on the platforms where your target audience is most active. This will ensure that your efforts are directed towards supercharging your company's social media presence.

3. Select the right automation tools

There are various automation tools available for social media management. The right tool will ideally be one that suits your needs and budget. If you are a solo business just launching out, don't get carried away by the amazing features that are offered by leading social media automation tools. These are definitely valuable tools to try out when your team has grown and your revenue streams have improved. Besides, most of these tools do have freemium options. Ex: Buffer allows scheduling for one social profile each month while other tools limit there free services for the number of posts or automations.

4. Create a content calendar

Plan and schedule your social media posts in advance using an editorial calendar. This will help you maintain a consistent posting schedule and ensure you cover important topics and events. Creating an editorial calendar is a crucial step in organizing and planning your content creation efforts. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you create an editorial calendar.

5. Craft engaging content

Automation works best when you have high-quality content. Create a mix of posts, including articles, images, videos, infographics, and polls, to keep your audience engaged. Use many platforms while maintaining consistency in the key branding elements of your business or personal brand.

6. Optimize post timing

Experiment with different posting times to find out when your audience is most active. Use insights from analytics to determine peak engagement periods.

7. Automate post scheduling

Automating post scheduling is perhaps the best thing that happened to a digital marketer. It eliminates the receptive yet most essential tasks of keeping social channels alive reminding our followers of what we do and engaging in a bit of healthy competition.

Use your chosen automation tool to schedule posts for specific dates and times. But while doing so, be sure to adapt the content to each platform's format and tone as well as keeping your brand voice and elements consistent across all social media platforms.

8. Leverage evergreen content

Identify evergreen content – posts that remain relevant over time – and automate their reposting at regular intervals helps to reach new followers and keep the content alive with least effort. Most social media automation tools allows this feature.

9. Engage with your audience

The amount of time internet users spend on social media is now higher than ever — 151 minutes per day. Continue interacting with your audience by responding to comments, messages, and mentions promptly. It's best to avoid over-automation and keep your responses more 'human' when responding to followers comments and feedback/ assistance messages.

10. Monitor analytics

Keep a close eye on your social media analytics. This will help you assess the performance of your automated posts, identify successful strategies, and make necessary adjustments.

11. Stay Informed about trends

Keep up-to-date with the latest trends, hashtags, and popular topics in your niche. Each time a new invention or release takes place, it could change the way customers and businesses interact with content.

For example, when the AI bot Chat GPT launched, it made content creation, translation and grammar correction apps obsolete. But it would empower organisations and careers that strengthens the relationship through human interaction.

In 2022, brands in the fintech space found massive success in creating thoughtful, save-worthy content in - Tiktok! - by creating a balance between jokes about relatable financial woes and helpful tips on money management.

In terms of content, edutainment, video content and employee advocacy will see an increase in brand awareness and qualified job applicants, and new customers on top of gaining more control over brand messaging and thought leadership.