Marketing departments at all size companies are in the midst of figuring out if they should use or how best to use social media – sites like Facebook, and LinkedIn, and Twitter. Many of the CEOs and other company execs I’ve spoken with freely admit they are “behind the eight ball” when it comes to executing a social media strategy. And for many their social media “strategy” is simply having a staff member set up a company page on Facebook, establish an account on Twitter, and carve out a company presence on LinkedIn, which isn’t really a strategy. (Re LinkedIn, many companies already have a LinkedIn account, through their HR department, which they use as a way to recruit or check-up on candidates, but the account is not being used for marketing or communications or customer service efforts. This is a mistake.)
I believe a good part of the hesitation by many companies to dive into the social media pool is a fear of drowning, or losing control of the conversation, combined with not understanding that they needn’t dive in head first but can test the waters, dipping a toe in and then slowly wading in all the way, i.e., developing and implementing a comprehensive social media strategy over time.
The first step is to just create a social media strategy, which simply involves deciding which social media site or sites to use, how, and when. Without a clear strategy – knowing up front what it is you want or hope to accomplish, who the target audience is, and how best to reach that audience – companies run the risk of missing out, on potential new customers, opportunities, and revenue streams.
So where to begin? Start by picking the platform/social media site where you think you’ll find your customers and prospects. LinkedIn, for example, is targeted at business professionals. Facebook is geared more toward consumers who aren’t necessarily looking for a product or service but value recommendations from friends. While Twitter, a microblogging site, attracts a mix of professionals and consumers and is a great PR and promotion tool.
Then set up an account on the site or sites you feel will provide the most benefit. Not sure which site is right for your company or don’t have the resources or time to invest in or on three sites? Then pick one social media site as your primary site. However, it’s worth the time and effort to set up accounts on the other two social media sites, too, and link them to your primary site. (Each of the “big three” social media players make it easy to push content from their site to other sites and vice versa.). This way as you add content and experiment with your primary social media site, you can push (or have the content automatically pushed for you) to the other two.
Once you have established a presence on LinkedIn and/or Facebook and/or Twitter, invite your customers and prospects to join you, either via the invite tool on that site, by providing links on your company website to your social media accounts, and/or via email (or a combination of the above). When you are comfortable using your primary social media site, you can expand your horizons and start spending more time and energy on other sites.
The important thing to remember is that social media is a tool to drive conversations with your customers, prospects, and other relevant audiences. And a successful social media strategy is one that will help you better connect with your customers and understand what it is they are looking for, so you can deliver the products, services, and/or solutions they are seeking and ultimately garner new customers and sales.
Don’t wait. Now’s the time to develop your social media strategy and join the conversation!
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