5 Tips for Guaranteed Success on

Are you a Marketing teacher tired of teaching the same-old-same-old?

Have you grown tired of traditional media marketing?

Do you feel like you're ready for the next challenge in your career?

If you answered "yes" to the above questions, what you need is the Mimic Social Simulation! Mimic Social is a program designed to turn you into the best social media marketer you can be. The simulation is meant to push you to your creative and analytical limits to make sure you're ready for the real-world posting by the end of the course.

But don't worry! This article will give you the top 5 keys to success that will make sure your posts are the best of the best.

1. Post at Optimal Times
 
If you want people to see your posts, it makes sense to post when they're on social media. According to SocialPilot, the best time to post by platform is:

Facebook: 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Instagram: 6:00 AM - 9:00 AM, 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM, and 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Twitter: 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
LinkedIn: 7:00 AM - 8:00 AM, or 12:00 PM
Pinterest: 2:00 AM - 4:00 AM, 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM, or 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
It's a lot to keep track of, but it will all be worth it when you reach that Number 1 spot in your class!

2. Use Saved Audiences
 
Of course, posting at the right time is only half the battle. The other half is posting things people want to see! Mimic Social only gives you a set number of posts to choose from each round, so you won't be able to perfectly adapt to your audience, but you can adapt your audience to your posts.

How it works is, you promote a post, create a saved audience, and enter all the information about a demographic you think would be interested in the post you are creating. To create maximum success with this tip, check out the "Market" tab on the left side of the simulation to find what types of customers Buhi already has.

As a bonus tip, always cater to your largest audience first. You only have so much budget, so make the most of it by appealing to the biggest buying audience that you can.

3. 80/20 Rule
If you haven't heard it enough already, follow the 80/20 Rule!!

And if you haven't heard it at all, the 80/20 Rule basically means that 80% of your posts should be non-promotional and 20% can be promotional. It's important for your brand to been seen as a thought-leader who wants to help consumers, rather than be a soulless machine who's only goal is to sell, sell, sell.

What this means for Mimic Social is that you should be mindful of posts that have "Promotes" sticker on them. Try to limit these posts in favor of more pictures, infographics, memes, etc.

For more on the 80/20 Rule, check out the article from BrandMuscle.

4. Read, Read, READ!
 
It is fundamental. If you want to succeed in Mimic Social, read every memo, document, and tab they provide for you. It's a big time investment, but one that will pay off big-time later.

Things to look out for include:

Weekly Memos
Analytics
Scenarios
Tip Corner
Messages
Every week during the simulation has a different goal. Just like real-life, it's not always about generating the most profit. Sometimes a brand wants more engagement or reach to spread the word about themselves. If you miss the memos and resources to help you understand these goals, you could be leaving the social media scene faster than you entered!

5. Experiment
 
Don't be afraid to try something new in the simulation! It can often lead to new discoveries of what does and does not work for a particular platform or audience. As Meltwater warns, it's easy to get tunnel vision, especially when you can see your progress so clearly with the Mimic Social Simulation. But unfortunately you can't just latch onto the first success you get and hope that works forever. It's important to vary your content to appeal to as many people as possible for your brand.

You can start by trying different audiences than you might normally try on certain platforms. You never know what week a customer could just so happen to be crossing one of your posts who would ordinarily never see it!

Armed with these tips, you should be ready for whatever the Mimic Social Simulation can throw at you. It will be difficult, and it will be challenging, but you've got what it takes to succeed. If you're a Marketing teacher looking for new and bold ways to go further with marketing, try downloading going at the Simulation yourself at Stukent and prove you can handle any social media challenge!

#1 – Pay Attention to the Social Media Audit
The first task you should perform at Buhi is the Social Media Content Analysis Project located in the Social Media Strategies Textbook. This will give you an idea of what types of content and posting times are working for Buhi’s largest competitor, Herschel Supply Co. Use this data to guide your initial decisions in the simulation.

#2 – Collaborate with Your Peers
In a real-world social media marketing scenario, it is unlikely that you would be operating in a bubble with no one to bounce ideas off of. Talk to your classmates to gain insights into the simulation. Experiment with what is working well for them.

#3 – Post Often (but not too much)
I learned this lesson a little late in the simulation and regretted not doing it earlier. You want to entertain and inform your audience. However, you do not want them to begin to tune you out. Find a happy medium. You can refer to Stukent’s post frequency infographic (click the instruction tab in the post box, then click the frequency box and discover the post frequency infographic – or click the link above).

#4 – Target and Promote Your Posts
 
Posts that are targeted to a specific buyer persona (or two) will have more power to connect with those audiences if you are reaching them on the platforms where they are present. Paying to promote these posts will further your reach as well. Posts that are successfully targeted and promoted will generate the most awareness and engagement. Bonus tip – using hashtags will also expand your reach.

#5 – Follow the 80/20 Content Rule
Nobody wants to be sold to, and social media is no exception. If you promote your business excessively, your followers will disappear. Stick to the 80/20 rule for social media marketing – 80% of your content should inform, educate and entertain while the remaining 20% can be used to promote your business.

#6 – Carefully Answer the Customer Service Questions
Keep in mind, your job as a social media marketing manager is to be as helpful and human as possible, to create value for your customers and build a trusting relationship with them. Select the most detailed, helpful response.

#7 – Mix up Your Content
With all the noise on social media today, social media marketers need to be authentic, creative and not afraid to mix up their content. Vary your posts between eye-catching pictures (focus on the product outdoors), infographics, videos, blog posts and promotions. (I did not find much success with the memes). Additionally, keep your written content brief and engage and inform your followers with quotes, facts and questions.

#8 – Think About “Who Is Buhi Supply Co.?”
This is likely the most important piece of the Mimic Social simulation and there is not one, clear answer to this question. Look closely at the buyer persona’s detailed under the “market” tab, paying special attention to their market share and what their interests are. Think about what type of content would appeal to these audiences and how you can reach them. Do not spread yourself thin trying to connect with everyone in the market. Think about who exemplifies the image of Buhi Supply Co. and focus on two to three of these personas.

#9 – Create a Content Calendar
Although it is not a requirement, creating a content calendar is extremely good practice for the real world. A calendar will enable you to see the big picture in your overall social media marketing scheme. From that vantage point, you can plan out your holiday promotions and find the right mix between posts that inform/educate/entertain (raise awareness and engagement) and those that promote (generate revenue).