Social Media Starts With Strategy
By Thomas Becher
By now businesses have recognized the value of social media. When done well and used the right way, social media such as Facebook and Twitter can develop customer relationships, reach new audiences and build your brand.
But social media, despite what you may have heard, is not the end-all to marketing. In fact, it’s just another tool in an expanding communications toolbox.
Social media is hot right now, and some form of it will certainly morph in the future, especially with mobile applications. Yet other media aren’t going anywhere. When TV came out people dismissed radio, and today radio is as strong as ever. And despite predictions of gloom, print publications remain relevant and engaging.
What you use to communicate your message depends on your goals. As the media landscape becomes more fragmented, it’s really about understanding which channels to use to engage your audience and using that tool effectively to help achieve objectives even as the toolbox gets bigger.
Like other communications methods such as advertising and public relations, social media must start with strategy. Before embarking in social media, you must ask a number of questions – Who is your audience? What are their demographics? How are they influenced? How do they think? What are your business goals? In other words, what do you want to accomplish as a result of the communications?
Depending on the industry and the target audience, we encourage our clients to utilize social media when it makes sense for their business. Sometimes social media does not make sense. Where appropriate, though, it’s a powerful customer engagement and awareness vehicle that can certainly help spark conversation and develop new relationships with your audience. But it’s not for everyone. Nor is it a “get it and forget it” tool. It is something that needs to constantly be updated, monitored and nurtured to be effective.
So there needs to be a strategy and process in place before starting a Facebook fan page or creating a Twitter account. Social media is like a shiny new toy. Everyone’s talking about it, everyone wants to hold it. But does everyone know how to use it properly?
By now businesses have recognized the value of social media. When done well and used the right way, social media such as Facebook and Twitter can develop customer relationships, reach new audiences and build your brand.
But social media, despite what you may have heard, is not the end-all to marketing. In fact, it’s just another tool in an expanding communications toolbox.
Social media is hot right now, and some form of it will certainly morph in the future, especially with mobile applications. Yet other media aren’t going anywhere. When TV came out people dismissed radio, and today radio is as strong as ever. And despite predictions of gloom, print publications remain relevant and engaging.
What you use to communicate your message depends on your goals. As the media landscape becomes more fragmented, it’s really about understanding which channels to use to engage your audience and using that tool effectively to help achieve objectives even as the toolbox gets bigger.
Like other communications methods such as advertising and public relations, social media must start with strategy. Before embarking in social media, you must ask a number of questions – Who is your audience? What are their demographics? How are they influenced? How do they think? What are your business goals? In other words, what do you want to accomplish as a result of the communications?
Depending on the industry and the target audience, we encourage our clients to utilize social media when it makes sense for their business. Sometimes social media does not make sense. Where appropriate, though, it’s a powerful customer engagement and awareness vehicle that can certainly help spark conversation and develop new relationships with your audience. But it’s not for everyone. Nor is it a “get it and forget it” tool. It is something that needs to constantly be updated, monitored and nurtured to be effective.
So there needs to be a strategy and process in place before starting a Facebook fan page or creating a Twitter account. Social media is like a shiny new toy. Everyone’s talking about it, everyone wants to hold it. But does everyone know how to use it properly?
posted by tba PR + Advertising at
8:04 AM
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