Developing a Social Media Process for your Business

1. Alyn Stafford 1 Explore and listen to what others say about your company and your competitors’ company. Developing a Social Media Process for your Business • Develop a monitoring strategy to discover: • issues discussed by customers and others that impact your brand • opinions customers have about your company, products and competitors • individuals who are or can serve as influencers in your market • places where your customers post comments, e.g. social media platforms such as Facebook, chat • rooms/forums, or blog comments Monitor and Listen www.marketingcommunicationsblog.com

2. Alyn Stafford 2 Set clear goals and objectives for what you want to achieve. Developing a Social Media Process for your Business • Some social media objectives may include: • developing relationships with your customer base and community • establishing your company or brand as a credible source • providing outbound company communications utilizing social media sites as a customer service platform • repositioning your company Establish Objective & Goals www.marketingcommunicationsblog.com

3. Alyn Stafford 3 Select the more important social media platforms that benefit your company’s objectives. Not every social media website is for every company or product. Developing a Social Media Process for your Business Limit your Social Media Platforms www.marketingcommunicationsblog.com

4. Alyn Stafford 4 Develop clear communications that help your organization engage with your target audience in a meaningful way. Developing a Social Media Process for your Business • Topics may include: • company closures that may affect employment or the community • how-to videos that relate to using your products • important policy or legal information that affects the consumer • links to relevant third-party content Develop Key Messages www.marketingcommunicationsblog.com

5. Alyn Stafford 5 Social media is considered a platform to “mingle” and share valuable stories (content) that benefit your target audience. Avoid direct sales pitches. Developing a Social Media Process for your Business • Meaningful content may include: • video • podcasts • micro-posts • photos • presentations • infographics • articles • webinars • PowerPoint slides Create Good, Useful Content www.marketingcommunicationsblog.com

6. Alyn Stafford 6 Establishing key roles and responsibilities are essential for organizations regardless if a dedicated online marketing team exists or does not exist. Developing a Social Media Process for your Business • Delegated responsibilities may include: • uploading content • managing videos • responding to customer comments • specified topics or issues • monitoring each social media website and blog comments Assemble a Social Media Team www.marketingcommunicationsblog.com

7. Alyn Stafford 7 Commit the time and resources required to successfully manage a social media strategy. Developing a Social Media Process for your Business • Items requiring commitment may include: • developing a content schedule and editorial calendar, especially for blogging • training staff responsible for the social media plan • keeping your organization informed on your social media events • daily or weekly meetings to discuss strategy and issues that may arise from comments • deciding to keep your social media monitoring in-house or outsourcing it to an agency Commit Time and Resources www.marketingcommunicationsblog.com

8. Alyn Stafford 8 Add your social media sites, i.e. LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc., to your website as well as all of your offline marketing communications collateral. Developing a Social Media Process for your Business • Suggested promotional vehicles may include: • E-mail newsletters and broadcasts • brochures • television advertisements • business cards • flyers/print advertisements Promote your Social Media www.marketingcommunicationsblog.com

9. Alyn Stafford 9 Both offline and online marketing teams must coordinate with one another to ensure consistency across all marketing communication channels. Developing a Social Media Process for your Business Develop a strategy and plan for keeping the offline marketing communications team aware of all social media communications. The same holds true for the offline marketing team; keep the online social media team informed of all offline events and activities. Integrate Online with Offline Events www.marketingcommunicationsblog.com

10. Alyn Stafford 10 • Observe and analyze your social media analytics. • Check for spikes in your data: • Is there a specific: • post that generates more comments and traffic? • time of day that traffic or comments increase? • geographic area or areas that tend to respond • more than others? • Learn to analyze the data and make adjustments as necessary. Developing a Social Media Process for your Business Measure your Success www.marketingcommunicationsblog.com