Just the tip of the iceberg: Exploring the depths of Social Media Marketing
Check out this infographic from Intersection Consulting - it’s a great and simple way of illustrating how developing a social media strategy is not just about the social media networks you employ, but made up of a variety of critical components to ensure its long-term success.
3 basic principles about social media marketing can be gleamed from this illustration and should be the starting point for anyone thinking about creating a social media marketing strategy / campaign:
- Having a presence on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter does NOT make up your strategy - they are merely tools for you to disseminate your marketing message
- A fully developed social media marketing strategy requires a macro view that takes into account all facets of your business - it requires a holistic commitment to making social media marketing work FOR you
- Social media marketing is not a short-term strategy. In order for you to fully maximize the potential of the social media space, you need to constantly evolve and remain engaged with your audience.
With these principles in mind, you are now ready to tackle the main body of your social media marketing strategy. Ask yourselves these questions before jumping in blindly and setting up a gazillion social media accounts that you may/ may not actually need.
- What are my Marketing Objectives for engaging in social media? What do I want to achieve?
- What are my business needs and how will social media support the future growth and development of my business?
- Who is my audience and how do I target them? Where can I find them?
- What is my brand trying to say? What is my Voice and how do I communicate that to my target audience?
- Which social media sites are most strategically aligned with my objectives and needs?
- Do I have a thorough understanding of social media and the various players that exist? Do I need to set guidelines and training sessions to ensure that my entire team is on the same page?
- What are some existing trends in the social media landscape? Are there any emerging trends that I can tap into and take advantage of?
- Do I have the right skill sets, technologies and manpower to diligently monitor and track my social media engagements?
- How will I measure my strategy’s success rate and ROI? Are they realistic and in line with my business’ overall objectives?
- Do I have the full support of my entire business? Are all stakeholders onboard and is my corporate culture open to the idea of social media?
It is critical to answer these questions before embarking on any social media marketing initiative. The social media space is such a fluid and open network you need to be fully prepared before engaging in it. Refer to your set objectives regularly to see if your social media strategy is in line with your goals and audience needs. Once you have the macro objectives in place, executing your social media strategy will be a cinch!!
Most importantly, have fun with it!
