I Have A Plan…….Social Media Plan, That Is…

It began with a flashing dot in a dos program then evolved into a super speed highway of information. And it happened very quickly. Now, many are communicating solely through social media applications such as facebook and Twitter. How does this affect your business you might ask? This powerful engine is paving the way for more efficient marketing strategies. Here’s some food for thought:

• Four out of every 10 Americans read blogs, according to a study by Synovate/Marketing Daily
• There are 500 million facebook accounts
• An estimated 75 million users are on Twitter, with 10 -15 million actively using it

Like it or not, understand it or not, social media can be a very powerful tool for your company. And guess what? It’s FREE. However, you must have a strategy.

Here are a few things to think about:

1. What is your end goal? Think about where you would like your business to be. With your destination in mind, it’s not too tough to create the map.
2. Who is your audience and where are they online? You must know your target audience so you can set priorities and focus your efforts on those sites that will bring significant results.
3. Who are the influencers? Specific people, groups or institutions that reach your target audience’s heart and head. They are also your target audiences.
4. What are they saying? Stay up-to-date on what your target audience is saying about the industry, products and competition’s products. You’ll be amazed at the benefits this provides you.
5. How will your value proposition align? Now that you know what your target audience is saying, you can evaluate how you align with their needs. Are you offering something unique and relevant? Or is your message getting lost?
6. How can you deliver and contribute? How will you reach your target audience? Is a facebook fan page the way to go? Is a direct mail piece better for your target audience? Knowing the best way to communicate with them will benefit you in ways you can’t imagine until you see the results.
7. What are you willing to invest? So not everyone has 24 hours a day, 7 days a week that they can sit in front of the facebook account and sell, sell, sell, market, market, market. But while you’re thinking of the strategy that works best for your business, do think about the hours that it will take to get going and stay current. No doubt, social media is very time consuming.

Remember, building your social media public relations may not show instant results. The most important thing with any social media is to not become stagnant. As with any living thing, you must feed it for it to grow.

And don’t forget, we are here to help you. If it’s too overwhelming, feel free to give us a call. We rock at this stuff 🙂