Strategizing with Social Media

Having a social media page is one thing, but implementing a comprehensive social media campaign is another. When considering social media marketing, it’s important to understand the difference between the two as well as recognize what social media can (and cannot) do for your business.

You need to create a strategy for your online presence. Be consistent. Be specific. Be happy. Be engaging. These guidelines will give you a great start to a strategy.

Be consistent. If you start posting or tweeting three times a day, then try to keep up that pace for at least five days out of the week. Consistency reminds your audience that you’re there. You’ve heard the saying, “Out of sight, out of mind,” so keep your audience engaged by staying visible. But don’t go overboard with status updates and tweets. You know that feeling you get when you see a status every hour on the hour by the same person? Exactly. Don’t be that person and/or business, annoying your followers and friends. Be consistent, but don’t get carried away.

Be specific. Don’t generalize a post by trying to include all your clients and customers in dialogue. Be direct. Cater every post to a specific section of your audience, and rotate your posts so that you can reach different audiences with specificity. If you have automotive and healthcare clients, post a status and make an interesting statement or provide a fact that would intrigue automotive. The next time you post something, target your healthcare clients. Address your audiences, so they’ll know when you’re talking to them, and all in all, keep your posts specific and interesting.

Here are some quick tips for better updates

• Post an interesting fact
• Share a tip
• Endorse content
• Don’t always ask a question
• Inspire action
• Tell the users what to expect
• Use short links
• Use images with text
• Ask users to comment

Be happy. The general rule in social media is to keep your posts positive. Nobody likes a Debbie Downer. It’s a better experience for you and your followers if you keep the dialogue positive and focused on the great things your business is doing. In turn, that will provide value to your followers. If you have a comment that could be interpreted as negative, keep it constructive. Throw in a positive spin at the end of your comment. For example, “Unfortunately, things didn’t pan out with the project, but it was a great learning experience to help make our next campaign that much better. Stay tuned!”

Be engaging. Participate in the community by liking and following others, and don’t be afraid of a little paid promotion. If you host live events, be sure to take plenty of pictures, load the photos to your fan page, and encourage fans to tag themselves. Always hashtag (#) trending topics on Facebook and Twitter. Just get involved in your online community. What you put out is what you will get back.

These are just some tools and words of advice to aid you in your journey toward social media strategy success.