One of the popular business fears today is, “if you’re not engaged in Social Media, you’re not selling.” Worse yet, you’re falling behind. In that rush to “keep up,” executives can push the marketing team to “do something” right away.
So, up goes a business page on Facebook and LinkedIn. And perhaps you start posting on YouTube. Great, right? Well, not really.
Social media channels need constant care and monitoring. Many businesses forget the operative word in “Social Media” is ‘social.’ That means engaging with others. You cannot simply create a page and then “go away.”
I recently came across a survey of 3000 or so marketing leaders that indicated –
- 33% had no social media plan at all
- 50% had an informal one
- 17% had a formal social media plan, complete with ROI and metrics
Now, I don’t know the methodology of that survey, but conceptually, it does tell me that many organizations are still struggling to get their arms around social media as a tool to support and grow their business.
Here are a few basic guidelines for establishing a social media strategy that can thrive in your company –
- Set goals for your social media efforts. Understand what you want each channel to achieve for you and set about making it happen.
- Choose social media channels that make sense for your target audience. If they don’t use Pinterest, don’t invest your energy in a Pinterest presence. It’s that simple.
- Make sure your social media efforts dovetail with all your other sales and outreach efforts. They are part of a “continuum of communication.”
- Create content strategies for each social channel. The channels should complement each other and support the overall communications goals of the company.
- Create an editorial calendar for each social channel. Plan content to share. Post regularly. Vary the content. Invite comment and conversation.
- Specify one person (and a second as a back-up) to be responsible for each channel. Do not leave it to “anyone who has time.” That leads to it never getting done. Or being rushed when someone says “hey, has anyone checked the Facebook page recently?”
- Have a personality. Social media is a conversation between people. People have personalities. They’re human. It’s okay, actually it’s preferred, for you to show a bit of yourself in your social posts.
- Leave your “me-ness” behind. Social media is not a means to promote your product line features and benefits. It’s a time to show “Thought Leadership” in your field and provide a forum for your community to participate and share. Keep it focused on helping your audience expand their knowledge and learning new ways to prosper.
Remember, social media is just one of the many tools you can deploy to grow your business. Understand what it can do for you and use it accordingly. No two companies will have the same need for, or presence in, social media. Build social media into your overall business strategy; don’t let it “ride alone.”