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A Mini-Guide to Social Media Strategy

Social media is the new pink elephant in the room. Companies and organizations can no longer ignore (assuming they want to stay connected with people), but very few have an idea on how to engage it. In working with several organizations and companies on this topic, I’ve discovered that most want a simple how-to plan for implementing a strategy.

While it is true that some larger entities do need a more sophisticated collection of services, tools, and staffing, many others are more than able to develop a simple social media strategy, using the resources available, that adds value to their efforts. Well, here’s a brief (non-exhaustive) cheat-sheet on how to start towards developing a social media strategy:

  • Move Out of Denial
    • Social media is not a fad. The train has left the station and it’s not coming back. Whether or not you decide to be on social media, your customers are already taking about you in their networks. Do you want to engage?
    • Commit to developing a plan that works for your company or organization. It’s okay to admit that you don’t know what to do. The truth is that most don’t know what to do. Nevertheless, not knowing what to do is a poor excuse for not doing anything.
  • Know Your Audience
    • This is foundational to communication and marketing. Where does your audience live and how do they engage? This should give you some insight into where you ought to be active. Facebook? LinkedIn? Twitter? Blogs? You get the picture.
    • Social media is not just about getting people to where you are, but also an opportunity to go to where your tribe dwells. Don’t know where you’re “friends” are? Why not ask them? You’ll be surprised to see how active they really are in these various platforms.
  • Start Learning & Writing (Typing)
    • There are plenty of resources that can help you develop a sustainable strategy. Websites like Mashable, Social Media Examiner, and WOMMA offer some great resources including articles, webinars, and conferences for those choosing to learn and develop their strategy.
    • As you learn from these great resources, take time to write/type things down/in. You will need a point of reference to refine a strategy. Nice thoughts about social media will not help you or your team develop well.
    • If you don’t have anyone internally, consider inviting someone in to talk to your team about strategy and options for your company or organization. Just be cautious of people who claim to be “experts”. It’s often better to hire someone who postures themselves as an active learner in this space and has a track record of thinking well about solutions. Some groups are opting to hire externally for a season while they develop an internal team or culture to engage social media.
  • Determine Objectives & Metrics
    • Yes, you get to set what “success” is in social media. It’s really rooted in your objectives for being in this space. Will you base your success on the number of followers, friends, or fans? Do you want to build brand loyalty that can be measured through qualitative surveys? Are you hoping to find correlation to your bottom line? Keep in mind that you don’t have to use the same metrics for social media as you use for other marketing and communication platforms.
    • Like anything else in your business or organization, you should have a purpose behind why you participate in social media and also how you plan to measure impact.

Yes, it’s true…it takes time to develop a social media strategy. Nevertheless, it’s completely doable and should be done. Social media is changing the way we engage others, both online and offline. Why not spend some energy towards engaging well on the front end of this shift?

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charleslee@churchleaders.com'
Charles is the CEO & Chief Idea-Maker at Ideation, a brand innovation company that specializes in helping businesses & organizations build remarkable brands via innovative business design, organizational change architecture, brand integration, design, web, and marketing services. He is also the author of Good Idea. Now What?: How to Move Ideas to Execution, a practical book designed to help people move ideas to implementation. Charles is regularly invited to speak to leading companies and organizations on topics such as creativity, innovation, idea-making, and branding. Executive leaders from brands including Wells Fargo, Toyota, The White House, Catalyst, William Morris Endeavor, mun2, Council of Urban Professionals, Chick-fil-A, and many others have benefited from having Charles present at their key events.