Planning Your Social Media Strategy – 4 Things You Need to Know
February 5th, 2010
Did someone tell you it was a good idea to get your business on Social Media? Well, before you start, read these 4 tips that will save you time and money.
- Who are you?
Forget the elevator pitch. In the world of web 2.0 you need to pitch your business in 120 characters or less? Figuring your pitch out beforehand will help you be consistent in your social media message and you’ll know exactly what to say when it’s time to introduce your business. - What is your end goal?
Any well planned project starts with the end in mind. Therefore you should plan your ideal outcomes first, and find the right strategy to get you there second. The end result, your goals, should dictate how you get there, meaning your strategy should result from your goals and not vice versa. - How are you going to be measuring social media marketing?
Many believe that marketing with web 2.0 tools gets much better results than traditional marketing. Have you heard of this saying? It’s all B.S. until you test. You can follow as many case studies and experienced social media advisers as you like – in social media marketing every case is different and you’re insane if you’re not measuring your social media marketing results. - What’s your plan to engage others?
“Go where the people are” – that’s the common reason for businesses to start social media marketing. Yes, millions of people log onto social media every day – but it doesn’t mean they’re going to engage with your business or brand.
If you’re going to be effective at planning your social media strategy, you need to work out how to engage customers before you start. You might provide incentives by giving away discounts or freebies, or you might have a loyalty program or give rewards for referrals. Whatever your plan, make sure you develop your marketing with social media (along with your goals, tactics and measurement plan) before you start jumping on the social media bandwagon. The last thing you want to happen is for your social media marketing to flop and wasting huge amounts of time and money on the project.
