( Business Growth Solutions ) Social Media Foundation Stack .
Recall the entrepreneur I helped make $ 120,000 off social media ads earlier ? Well , I used this same foundation stack model for her , and I can do the same for you . It has been tried , tested and proven and after working with about 100 startups every year on the same for the last 10 years , I believe I have acquired a satisfactory proof of concept .
Here it is then , the steps you need to take to develop a kick-ass social media ad campaign .
Step 1 : Have a great backstory
Before you start posting , selling , or putting out ads we need to know who you are and why we should buy from you . People buy people , not products - and we get attracted to the product by the latent association it has to the creator of said product . We buy from people we trust , can relate to and people we feel have overcome hardship . In short , we buy from people who have tasted success .
Step 2 : Be on at least 4 social media platforms , seriously
Alfred Adler ( 1870-1937 ), world renowned philosopher and psychiatrist , stressed the need to understand individuals within their social context . This creates trust and social cohesion and one way of doing this is by observing people in different environments .
For you to move from stranger to my ‘ friend ’ online ( at least perceptually ) I need to see you in at least 4 different environments to feel I ‘ know you ’ sufficiently enough to buy your product or service fast enough : I see your pictures on Instagram , I see you in a community on Facebook , I see you professionally on LinkedIn and I may even catch you goofing off on Tik-Tok . I look at this and ‘ realise ’ this is someone I know ; I trust and can buy from one day . It is the illusion of celebrity , but a necessary online illusion required to reduce the buyer decision journey of your customers , all the same .
Step 3 : Develop a core message and back it with creative content
But the next question then becomes : what are you here for and how do you intend on changing our world , as customers ? It is about giving as value in a way that our lives become easier and how effectively ( simple + creative ) you communicate this message with me , will determine the extent I respond to any of your online ads , paid or not .
Step 4 : Build a community of at least 10,000 followers in a year
This is the point where so many of my mentees get flustered . They start crying : I do not have time , I am too busy , this is too hard , can someone do it for me ? But I do not know how to start , I am ... I am ... I am . I totally get it , I do …. everyone wants the success without the work .
But the reality is that sponsored social media ads work best when the algorithm understands not only your audience , but you and it can only do that by observing the quantity and quality of your interactions over a specific period . And here is the magic threshold formula : 10,000 aggregate followers across four social media platforms acquired over a 1-year period by posting 1-3 times a day on each platform , daily .
The focus here is not virality or earning directly from platform pay-outs . The focus is creating a pipeline of customers who trust you enough to buy your products directly from you .
Step 5 : Work on the deliverability of your product
We are not out of the woods yet .
Your customers now know you , what you stand for , what you are selling and the value you creatively and freely share daily via your content . They are grateful and want to return the favour by buying your stuff BUT there are a few dilemmas : they do NOT know your range of products , where they can be viewed , how much they cost , how they are delivered , where to pay for them etc .
You will be surprised how many entrepreneurs - new and old have great products but a poor route to market strategy and so , even if customers want to buy from you - your inability to deliver the product keeps you … broke .
So , before doing a sponsored ad make sure you have your route to market strategy fully sorted . It seems obvious until it is not .
Step 6 : Now do your sponsored AD !
Now we are here at last ! Now you have earned the right to do a social media ad . A few notes :
• For an ad to make sense return wise , budget for at least 1 month . Depending on the platform this will set you back at least $ 150 . Be prepared .
• Before posting , optimize your content for the platform in terms of length ( if video or script ), quality , words , hashtags , key-words etc .
• Ensure your phone numbers and external links e . g ., to the website , are working .
• Set up the back-end demographic data relevant to your audience : sites they visit , ages , location , gender preferences .
• Understand which part of the L . A . M . P . S outcome you are looking for and track accordingly .
If you are patient , disciplined and consistent enough to follow this formula you will not only have sponsored social media ads that generate great returns on your investment , you will also have a pipeline of brand-led customers : people who can afford your products and services and pay for them on time and in full .
Till next time , happy posting !
Jan Okonji is the founder , Business Growth Solutions and an entrepreneur with a passion for turning ideas into profitable businesses . He can be contacted for business support services and advice here , or through his email at : Info @ bizgrowth . club