We are at a time where everyone is jumping on the social media marketing bandwagon. Every company realizes that they need to implement it. Every person is now either a guru, expert, strategist, specialist, manager, or something else, who are going to get your company what they need. Those titles do not suit me right now, so I will call myself a social media marketing princess. Yes, thats right.
Back to why I’m writting this. While this is the hot new way to build business, there is a lot to it and you should know a couple of things to start.
The People
Choose the people who are going to manage your online brand wisely and look for those within the company first. Combining a group of people from different departments within the company like PR, Marketing, Tech, even Accounting can all work. It is important for these people to be passionately positive about the vision of the company because they will be able to communicate it the clearest and most effectively. This is why within the company I think always works best at first. These are the individuals who make your company shine!
If that isn’t an option, I suggest looking for a small but reputable marketing agency who will live and breathe your company’s brand. Just do some Googling in your area for this type of service, I am more than positive you will find something that works for you.
The Game Plan
Strategy is key. Coming up with a detailed plan, campaign, strategy of who, what, where, why, and how is only the beginning and extremely important. Outlining what the goal is for a specific amount of time (with a bit of flexibility of course, because this does take time to build) is mandatory. Make sure you join every social media platform you can think of, this guarantees your spot/name in that space. There is Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google+, and a lot others. Think of specific communities you want to reach, and go from there. Which ones are going to work best for your brand? Start engaging with those first.
The NFL, NHL, and NBA (is that last one baseball or basketball?) all know about planning. There are now so many plans these guys use that they are like breathing to them, and they keep the end in mind most of the time. This is why they are so successful! Another side note: I knew that loosing all the those games were part of the Shark’s strategy before making it to the playoffs this season.
The Game
At first, implementation will be trial and error, so it’s ok if you are not the ultimate champion first time around. However, it is important to make sure you are consistent in implementing your game plan to see real measurable results. Playing the game is going to be the way to see results and for you to measure how each method works for your company/brand. Keep in mind ways to optimize SEO too, I’m still working on how to do that myself. Using simple tools to measure influence during this time will help you learn about what works and what doesn’t next time around. These include the wonderful Google Analytics, Social Mention, and even Klout, just to name a few. Look my score is going up! I’ve said this before in my Twitter stream:
Win, Win, and Results
After you play hopefully you have won. You can use the original goals set to measure this, and ROI. However, like I said before, it takes time. I suggest discussing strategy and getting back down to details, looking at what got you those first customers, what interactions got more attention, when you were able to communicate the most with your audience, etc. Then play again! You can win, you just have to figure out how, and remember every brand is different. One of the reasons most businesses are successful in the first place, is because they stay true to who they are, what they offer, and how they offer it when they market.
With that said, here are some links to some very reputable Social Media Marketing Strategy Experts who can make this concept SERIOUS BUSINESS, if you choose:
Radian 6
Mari Smith
Chris Brogan
Seth Goodin
Chocolate (just kidding)
