Here are the two most frequently asked questions in my experience in the field of social media marketing:
1. What social media tools should I use?
2. How much time should I spend on social media?
The answer is – I can’t give you these answers. I need you to answer some questions for me first.
(Note: If anyone gives you answers to the 2 questions above without asking you at least 5 questions first, they do not know what they’re doing.)
Answer these questions:
What type of business are you in? Are you a nonprofit organization?
What do you do? What is your mission?
Who are your clients? Who are your supporters? Which social media platforms do they use?
What are you trying to accomplish? Can it reasonably be accomplished by spending one hour a week on social media or by spending 2 hours a day?
Why do you think you need to be on social media? What do you think that these new communication channels can do for you?
If you are only jumping on the social media bandwagon to immediately increase sales or raise emergency funds, you are in the wrong place. (At least, I think so. Others may tell you something else.)
So, to answer the questions above:
1. There are no right or wrong tools to use – it depends on your target market and where they are.
2. There is no right amount of time to spend on social media – it depends on what you are trying to accomplish.
The best reasons to start a social media campaign:
You want to get out of your bubble and increase transparency.
You want people to see what you do, who you are and why you do it.
You want to solicit feedback on a product, program or service.
You want to see your company or organization through a new lens and get a fresh perspective.
You want to be more alert and responsive to conversations about your organization.
You aim to use what you garner in your social media campaigns to inform and to catalyze current sales and fundraising efforts.
Remember, social media tools (Facebook, Twitter, blogging) are just that – tools. They are not a strategy.
Develop the WHY first, and the HOW will follow.
Have you had success developing a social media strategy? Leave your thoughts in the Comments section below. Thanks for reading!
Comments 8
Pingback: Social Medias | Family Bugs Blogging
Pingback: 28 Superlatives to Celebrate 28 Years | All Growing Up
Pingback: Top Marketing Blogs: Defining Success, Writing Press Releases, More
Great post, and I totally agree. So many people are using social media because they’ve been told that’s what they need to do. However, they don’t have any strategy behind it.
You are right – social media platforms are not a strategy in of themselves, rather they are part of an overall strategy.
Author
Thank you for your comment, very true! I think that people too often do things just because they feel pressure to do so, without really figuring out what they are going to use the tools for.
Pingback: Top Marketing Blogs This Week: Defining Success, Writing Press Releases And More - {Web.Search.Social}
Totally agree. I get requests for meetings all the time from people who want to know how to use social media and the first thing I ask is why. What are your goals, who is your audience what do you want to achieve? I love digital but sometimes its not the right tool. Digital tools are just one form of communication
Author
I agree. People are always so quick to jump on the next big thing or what’s popular, without figuring out a strategy for their marketing efforts. Lost time, lost effort and eventually lost motivation will occur!