This past week I visited a local restaurant that was preparing for the holiday season by advertising their holiday parties on a board right when you walk in. Also on that board, were requests to “Follow us on Twitter” and “Like us on Facebook”. So I tried to find them on Facebook, and being more knowledgeable than most with Facebook, I thought I would find them right away. But, there are two pages for this one specific business. It was also difficult to find them on Twitter, since they add “NY” to their name.
On their lobby sign, they don’t even tell you how to find them. What’s their twitter name? How are they listed in Facebook?
This is the position so many businesses find themselves in lately. They have gone through the trouble and expense of creating a Facebook page (or two)… and then nothing. People click “like”, they collect fans, people even write on their wall, and then … nothing.
This particular restaurant hadn’t updated their Twitter account since May, and has never actually engaged on their Facebook page(s).
Is this a social strategy?
No.
So, what makes a good social strategy?
A good social strategy has four main components:
- Identify your goals
- Find your audience
- Decide on performance indicators
- Schedule and manage
Identify Your Goals:
Any good marketing plan, whether social or traditional, requires that you start at the beginning. What do you want this specific marketing to accomplish? Do you want more customers? Do you want to establish your brand as an expert in a specific field? Until you know what you want to accomplish you will have no way to move your plan forward.
Find Your Audience:
You will need to determine where your customers are spending their on-line time. Are they on Facebook or Twitter? Is LinkedIn more appropriate for your business? This will all depend on the type of business you have and the specific client you are trying to reach.
Set Your Performance Indicators:
Social media can be measured. You can determine how many people visit your blog, website, or Facebook page. You can analyze what content is getting shared and retweeted and when that content is being posted. You just need to determine which of these items are important to the campaign you are running.
Schedule and Manage:
Once you know what your goals are, where you will be concentrating your efforts, and what you are looking to monitor, it’s time to set out your schedule. Who is tweeting on behalf of the company? When will posts be made to Facebook, and who is responsible for responding to your customers?
These steps will help you begin to envision your social media strategy, in hopes that you can offer your clients an engaging, responsive, and embracing community.
Resources:
7 Steps for a Successful Social Media Strategy
The Key to Developing a Social Media Strategy
Social Media Strategy in Four Steps
LOVE IT! The perfect recipe for social media success. Do you offer an initial consultation to evaluate a company’s social media grade like Hubspot does with its marketing grader? Have you seen that test? I could use some tutoring there, too.
I will gladly offer my biz as the guinea pig for a beta version if you do not already have your own program to evaluate social media success. I will sacrifice myself and go first!
Great job, Craig. We will have to discuss this on Wed eve at the THN event as we monitor the display table or perhaps over dinner when it may or may not be quieter.
Great stuff, this social media, when you know how to use it and I know I have plenty to learn so I can do a better job for both myself and my clients. The learning never stops.
Keep up the good work. Excellent post lesson.
Sorry for the delay in responding, Alison. I do offer an initial consultation with a prospective client, and I have seen Hubspot’s Marketing Grader, although I’m not sure how accurate it is, yet. I agree that social media is an amazing tool, and I love to learn more every day.
Thank you for your kind words!