7 Steps To Boost Your Print-On-Demand Business On Social Media

Every business owner has a goal or two they want to achieve with their company–whether it’s short-term, long-term, or somewhere in between. If you’re in the print-on-demand business, you’re no different. After all, why go through all the trouble of starting and running your own store if you don’t have any ambitions for it?

But with the competition only getting fiercer each day, you can’t just sit around and wait for success to come knocking on your door. You need to go out there and get it!

Thanks to social media, doing so is easier than ever before. With the platform’s ability to reach vast audiences with little effort, it’s no wonder that nearly 80% of marketers consider social media to be an essential part of their business and even spend money on advertising on these sites.

But before you start shelling out money for ads and start creating content, you need a foolproof plan that won’t waste your time or money. And in this all-inclusive guide, we’ll show you seven steps to get your goal-oriented social media marketing strategy up and running in no time.

Why Social Media Marketing?

Alright but before we get into the more serious yet fun stuff, let’s answer one question first–why social media marketing?

Well, for starters, social media marketing broadens the reach of your print-on-demand business in a way that other marketing channels can’t. With 4.62 billion users from different parts of the world, it’s now easier than ever to find your target market and turn them into lifelong customers.

And what’s more interesting is that these people won’t simply see your brand as some random company–social media enables you to show them the human side of your business. You can do this by sharing stories, relatable content, and even behind-the-scenes looks at your company.

The question now is, how do you successfully execute a social media marketing strategy that will help you do this and reach your objectives? Let’s find out.

Step #1: Set Your Objectives

While it’s clear that one of your main goals is to make more sales, there are other areas of your business that social media marketing can help you with. Do you want to:

– Increase brand awareness?

– Drive more traffic to your website?

– Improve customer satisfaction?

– Increase lead generation?

Of course, it’s tempting to target all these at once but that might only leave you feeling overwhelmed and scattered. That’s why it’s important that you focus on one or two objectives first before moving on to the others.

Determine Your KPIs

After identifying your objectives, it’s now time to determine your key performance indicators or KPIs. These are the metrics that you’ll use to measure whether or not you’re achieving your goals.

For example, if one of your objectives is to increase brand awareness, then your KPIs might be the number of impressions or reach your posts get. On the other hand, if you’re trying to increase website traffic, then your KPIs might be the number of clicks or website visits you get from your social media links.

Not sure what KPIs to use? Here are some social media KPIs you should track according to Hootsuite:

• CSat / Customer Satisfaction Score. This is a measure of how satisfied or delighted your customers are with your products. This is often asked through short polls or surveys posted on your social media channels.
• CTR / Click-Through Rate. This measures the number of times users clicked on your call-to-action divided by the total number of its impressions. A high CTR means that your audience is interested in what you have to offer.
• CPC / Cost Per Click. CPC measures how much you spend on ads per click. A low CPC means that your ad is relevant to your target audience while a high CPC indicates that you’re targeting the wrong people.
• Amplification Rate. This measures the number of times your content is shared or retweeted divided by the total number of your followers. With a higher amplification rate, you can assume that your content is resonating well with your audience as they’re willing to share it with their own followers.

Step #2: Know Your Customers

Now that you have determined your objectives and how you’re gonna make sure you reach them, it’s time to get to know your target market.

If you already have a list of customers, then that’s a great start. If not, then you can create buyer personas or avatars which are semi-fictional representations of your ideal customer. This will help you get inside their heads and understand their needs, wants, and pain points.

Here are some questions you can ask when creating your buyer persona:

Who Is Your Target Audience? (Demographics)

Determining your target demographics is always a must in any type of marketing. You can’t just target everyone and expect to get results. For social media marketing, knowing the demographics of your target audience is especially important as it will help you determine which platforms to use.

What Are Their Interests? (Psychographics)

Apart from the specific demographics, you should also take into account the psychographics of your target audience. This includes their interests, hobbies, and lifestyles. Try to put yourself in their shoes  and understand what kind of content would interest them.

For example, if you’re targeting college students who value their time and money, yet still want to look good, then you might want to consider creating content that’s about affordable and convenient fashion hacks. You can create IG stories showing how they can style their custom tote bags from your store in different ways or show them how they can partner your t-shirts with items they already have in their closet for an awesome school outfit.

Step #3: Gear Up With the Right Tools & Platforms

Apart from choosing the right platforms, you should also have the necessary tools to help you with your social media marketing efforts. Nowadays, there are plenty of social media management tools available to make your life easier.

For example, BuzzSumo is a great tool that allows you to see the most popular content on any given topic. It can also help you gauge how well your content is performing compared to your competitors.

Need a hand in scheduling and publishing content? Then you can try out MeetEdgar or Hootsuite. These tools are designed to help you save time by allowing you to automate your social media posts.

Determine Your Budget

Hmmm alright, before subscribing to any of these tools, let’s go back to your social media platforms. How much would you be willing to spend on those?

Sure, organic growth is not impossible.But if you’re looking to speed up the process, then you need to be prepared to shell out some cash.

To give you an idea, these are the lowest possible daily budgets for paid ads on some of the most popular platforms this 2022 according to WebFX:

• Instagram: $1 for impressions, $5 for engagements (likes, views, shares, clicks, etc.)
• Facebook: $1 for impressions, $5 for engagements (likes, views, shares, clicks, etc.)
• Pinterest: $2 daily for impressions, $0.10 for engagements/clicks
• YouTube: $10 for paid ads per day

Step #4: Develop a Social Media Content Plan

Your goal-oriented plan is almost complete. The only thing missing is your social media content plan and the content itself.

The best way to go about this is to create a content calendar. This will help you map out your content strategy and make sure that all your posts are in line with your goals. For a step-by-step roadmap, read our all-in-one guide to create a content calendar.

When creating your content calendar and actual posts, consider the following:

The Platforms You’re Using

As we’ve mentioned, each social media platform is different. That’s why you need to consider the specific platforms you’re using when creating your content and make the most out of each one.

For example, if you’re using Instagram, then you should take advantage of the platform’s visual nature and post images and videos. On the other hand, if you’re using Twitter, then you should focus on creating short and compelling tweets.

Your Target Audience

What’s trending among your target audience? What kind of content are they most likely to engage with? How long is their attention span? Keep these questions in mind when creating your content calendar.

Your Brand Identity

Creating a compelling campaign or content is a lot easier if you have a strong brand identity to work with. If you haven’t established your brand yet, now would be a good time to do so.

Look back at your goals and objectives and think about what you want your brand to be known for. Are you aiming for a luxury or high-end image? Or do you want to be known for being fun and approachable?

Your Competitors

What kind of content is your competition putting out there? Take a look at their social media accounts and see what’s working for them. Then, try to come up with content that’s even better (we know you can *winks*).

Step #5: Know What Works and What Doesn’t

So you’ve been following all the steps we’ve outlined so far, but you’re still not seeing any results. What gives?

Well, it could be that you’re not tracking your progress. Without proper tracking and analysis, it would be difficult to determine what’s working and what’s not. Remember the KPIs we talked about in step one? Now would be a good time to check up on those.

Furthermore, there are plenty of analytical tools you can use from the social media platforms themselves. For example, Facebook Insights lets you track your progress and see how your posts are performing.

There’s also Google Analytics which can be used to track traffic from all your social media channels.

Lastly, don’t forget to ask your customers for feedback! They’re the best ones to tell you what they want and how you can improve your products or services.

Make Changes To Improve Your Results

Making changes with your social media strategy doesn’t mean all your previous efforts have been for nothing. It’s not you, and oftentimes, it’s the fast-changing landscape of social media. What works today might not work tomorrow. And sometimes, a few tweaks are all you need to get the results you want.

You can also consider hiring a content creator or graphic designer to help you with your social media content. A little help from an outsider’s perspective can go a long way!

Step #6: No Man Is an Island – Collaborate!

Speaking of help, it’s important to remember that you don’t have to do everything on your own. Collaborating with other businesses or influencers in your industry can help you reach a whole new audience.

For example, if you’re selling eco-friendly products, then teaming up with an environmental organization would be a great way to get your message out there.

Not only will this help you reach a larger audience, but it will also give your brand more credibility. After all, if you’re working with a well-known organization, then that must mean you’re doing something right!

Step #7: Keep at It & Don’t Give Up

Once you see your efforts paying off, give yourself a pat on the back! But don’t rest on your laurels just yet. The key to social media success is consistency.

The most important thing is to keep creating great content and engaging with your audience on a regular basis. Build more connections and strengthen the ones you already have. Remember, your followers aren’t merely numbers – they’re real people who are interested in what you have to say and sell.

Set Your Goals Today and Watch Your POD Business Grow!

Crafting a goal-oriented social media marketing strategy isn’t something you can accomplish overnight. It takes time, effort, and a whole lot of trial and error. But we know you can do it!

Just take things one step at a time and don’t give up – before you know it, you’ll have a thriving print on demand business thanks to your social media marketing efforts!

And if you ever need a hand in creating awesome mockups for your social media posts, Awkward Styles’ free mockup generator is always at your service! Just log on to our website and start creating beautiful visuals for your posts today!