There is an incredible amount of information out there about social media. A thousand How To’s and Best Of’s, and hundreds of sources touting recommendations about what you’re supposed to do to succeed in social media.
You already know that social media doesn’t run itself. And, you also know that there’s an incredible amount of thought and intention that goes into managing successful social media strategies from day to day. As we’ve discussed, there’s a lot to consider about what you have to offer your social media communities. And of course, there’s also a lot to learn on an on-going basis.
You can have the fanciest pages and best analytics that span every-known social media platform, but when you get down to it, the only thing that matters is HOW you do it.
There aren’t any one-size-fits-all social media strategies. In fact, cookie cutter practices should be avoided at all costs. It may take some time, but identifying what works specifically for your business is a critical element in the success of your efforts.
HOW do you do it? Glad you asked!
PLAN OF ACTION
A good Plan of Action includes the measurement and definition of success that best suits your company. It will also outline business objectives and resources that will be invested. The most important resources are the people who make it all happen.
Don’t underestimate the amount of time and attention it takes to successfully manage social media, and don’t just hand it off to any warm body. The person or team that handles your social media must be consistent. They need to be aware of what’s going on both internally (within your company) and externally (within your market—and the world—in general). They need to know the company and the content they’ll be creating inside and out, but they also need to be objective enough to see where changes and improvements are needed to keep up with the times.
A good Plan of Action, like any business plan, is something that should be revisited often. It’s not just a document that can be tucked away in a file once it’s completed. It’s an evolving part of any good social media strategy, and it needs to be elastic enough to keep up with social media changes and business needs.
CONSISTENCY
Consistency relates to several elements when it comes to social media, but here, we’re going to focus on presentation, branding and timing.
This harkens back to “Branding 101,” but it bears repeating: Educate your staff completely! Can everyone represent your brand confidently and intelligently? Does everyone know your Twitter handle? Can they instinctively spout out your Facebook page name? Employees who deal with customers face-to-face should have all the information needed to speak confidently about any sales or promotions being offered online. Presentation is all about having the information when it’s needed and delivering it effectively. Make sure your staff can present an informed, unified front.
While we’re talking about branding and consistency: Do you have a Corporate Style Guide? Is your brand easily identifiable on everything you do? Are your customers seeing the same messaging in your brick-and-mortar locations as they’re seeing in your print advertising and social media outlets? They should be! Confusing messaging is completely ineffective, but consistent branding will increase your reach across all avenues.
Consistency also relates to processes: We’ve discussed how often you post, what you post, when you post, where you post, and even how to come up with great content. But it all has to be done consistently and in ways that will relate effectively to your audience. The only way to figure out exactly when and where is to pay attention. Be patient—success doesn’t usually come overnight, but consistency will lead you to the answers you’re looking for.
Always provide something of value for your followers. If they know they can consistently count on your interesting content, they’ll consistently follow you and spread your good words.
We’re not trying to re-write the books or anything, but we can honestly say—in more ways than one —that content consistency is king!
PERSONALITY
Keep things professional and consistent with your brand, but don’t be afraid to crank up the personality in your social media outlets! Whatever strategy you undertake, make it interesting. Your corporate website can be all business, but show a little love on Facebook! Let people know they can learn something new about your brand via Instagram. Want to increase your audience? Provide some wonderfully sharable items on Twitter and watch your numbers grow!
Interact with your audience. Don’t just pump out irrelevant, scheduled posts and robotic information that doesn’t do anything for them. It’s O.K. to sell sometimes, but make sure that you’re building relationships far more often than asking for sales.
People love good news. If there’s something new and exciting going on in your company, that’s the time to raise the roof! Use social media to keep your brand in front of your fans, friends and followers, and let them know they can “hear it here first.” Social media is the best Show and Tell format in the world. Give it a pulse, give it some color and make it fun!
CROSS-PROMOTION
You’ve got a website, a blog, tons of collateral, and multiple social media outlets. Make them all work harder for your brand by making sure each one (tastefully) informs your audiences about the other.
Mention your social media outlets in conversations, articles and e-newsletters. Make sure those social media badges are prominently placed on your website and blog. And don’t just plant them near the header—repeat them at the end of each post where people are more likely to click and share!
Recall earlier when we talked about consistently educating your staff? Don’t underestimate the value of person-to-person cross promotion.
- Restaurant staff can inform customers that they can follow the restaurant’s Facebook page for special deals and promotions.
- Employees can Like and Share information via their personal sites to help increase organic reach.
- Small flyers or give-aways can be handed out in-store to drive people to a business’ social media sites.
- Window signage and in-store banners can also help inform customers of your social media activities.
- Offer contests and provide calls-to-action to get people interested in signing up.
Share and inform via cross-promotion! Don’t just expect that people will find their own way to your sites. Some will, of course, but why not increase the odds by blazing a trail for them. You invest a lot into your social media efforts… Why not roll out the red carpet for them?
For super-savvy, red carpet-ready social media solutions, contact Filament today!
