The social media channels chosen are Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Video-based social media platforms such as YouTube and Vimeo will not be considered because they have a lower following among the target audience. Instagram also has video capabilities offsetting the need for video-based platforms. The objective of this social media strategy is to develop professionally.
Target audience
The target audience for Instagram includes family, friends and fellow students. This forum is majorly for informal interactions and building of stronger social bonds. Instagram is a way of communicating how one is progressing through life through photos and videos. Most of the moments shared will be happy ones, as it is good to generate good vibes. Instagram also allows one to keep tabs on how the lives of other people that one cares about are turning out and even for communicating with friends who are far from college.
Facebook is for a more mature audience such as parents and other elder members of the family. This is done with the knowledge that these are the people that are best placed to make a positive recommendation for a person after graduation. The content in Facebook will not be as informal as on Instagram. The comments and posts made on Facebook will reflect the level of maturity desired by the user. For example, there will be no text or verbal altercations on the public timeline on Facebook. Sensitive information will also be reserved for more private channels such as direct messaging. The generation using Facebook is more mature compared to Instagram making it an excellent place to lay a foundation for one’s future career.
Twitter has been accepted by numerous corporations and professionals as a channel to interact with consumers and for marketing. The target audience, therefore, includes potential employers and professional colleagues. The interactions on this platform will be entirely formal. It is a good platform to boost one’s reputation on the professional front. Reputation can be promoted by posting professional qualifications and experience on Twitter.
Social media engagement
The key to making social media improve social and professional life is to become an active user and also entertaining. The first step will be to follow or befriend all the people, institutions and companies that are of interest. The second step is to become noticed by these entities by replying to their posts and responding to their queries on the social media platforms. Any new followers and friends that express an interest or comment on posts made will be acknowledged and appreciated. The language used will be civil especially when addressing person’s that are not intimate friends of the social media user. Humor is used to capture the attention of many users on social media. Using decent humor will be a strategy to engage positively with others on the social media networks. Becoming popular among other users will create friendships and also drive the impressed persons into making referrals for the social media user.
The metrics to measure the effectiveness of the social media public relations strategy will include an increase in the number of followers, the reactions to the posts and their content, and the reach of the posts and activities on the social media networks. The better the metrics, the more successful the strategy will be. Creating awareness of one’s professional capabilities and keeping the different audiences interested and entertained will contribute to the achievement of the objective of growing professionally.