Social Media Strategy

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Overview

Social Landscape

Steps to Success

Building Relationships

Social Media
(PDF 0.6MB)

The key to an effective social media strategy is to understand that despite all the new tools that are constantly being created, the real power of social media is its ability to establish a relationship based on a brand conversation rather than brand advertising.

Social media is all about relationships. The purpose of social media is to start a conversation and then continue to contribute to the conversation in an effort to build a relationship. This relationship is a necessary component to creating a positive brand experience. Traditional methods of brand and marketing communication are so heavily influenced by the emergence of social media that it's important to understand how social media affects the process of building these relationships.

Executive Quick Hits

Key aspects of a successful Social Media Strategy:

Encourage participation, collaboration and sharing
Develop personal relationships and one-to-one communication
Create "real-time" valuable interactions and conversations
Listen constantly and continue to adjust and optimize
Respond to the conversation frequently and consistently

The Social Landscape

Social Media
(PDF 0.6MB)

Engaging in the on-going conversation with the online social community requires a certain strategic approach. To establish trusted relationships, there are a number of best practices to follow when initiating the use of social media.

Authentic

Social community participants have a responsibility to be authentic. Fake personalities and misleading communication will eventually be discovered and result in negative brand credibility.

Transparent

The most effective communication is clear and honest communication. Leave nothing open to interpretation. Transparency will inherently foster collaboration which will build deeper relationships.

Involved

Listen first, and then engage. Constant monitoring, adjusting, and optimizing are necessary to be fully engaged and successfully participate in the conversation.

Responsive

Social conversations happen in real-time. Be prepared to give feedback. Responsiveness is a direct result of the level of engagement in the community and commitment to the social conversation.

Genuine

Social conversation needs to be honest and sincere. Expressing concern for customers and empathizing with their needs and issues will build long-term credibility.

Consistent

Communication must be consistent and integrated across all channels and marketing tactics. Additionally, the conversation frequency should be on-going and not limited to marketing cycles.

Steps to a Successful Social Media Strategy

Social Media
(PDF 0.6MB)

How do your customers want you to engage with them? By listening first, you are able to understand how your customers are talking about you. This first step is crucial to setting the stage for further engagement and community interaction throughout the ongoing conversation.