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.” Nor can you fill the digiverse with self-focused material or “look at what I did” posts. It’s not about you. Sorry.
You need to cater to your community and what they want to know, discuss, and learn. But doing all that is tough. So . . .
Here are 8 basic guidelines to establish 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. And remember, downloads, shares, and retweets are all valid measures for success. Each effort doesn’t have to lead directly to revenue.
- Track response. Whatever you decide to track, find the software solution you need to monitor results. It’s the only way to build a valid Social Media ROI.
- 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.” Too many people think that Social Media is a creature unto itself. Not so.
- Create content strategies for each social channel. Each channel is different. Develop the right voice and content that both supports your marketing goals as well as the needs of the community on that platform.
- Create an editorial calendar for each social channel. It’s optimal to lay out 6 months’ worth of content per channel. At a minimum, create a 3-month rolling editorial plan. Without this forethought, you risk coming up on a date that requires a post and no idea what to say. Don’t think that will happen to you? Does the phrase “famous last words” mean anything to you?
- 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.
Much more goes into successful B2B social media marketing. But the above tips will help set you up for success.
And 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.”