Many small businesses are simply getting started in social media. I’ve had many clients let me know they don’t know where to begin. It doesn’t matter what your financial allowance might be there are some simple ways you can “test the waters” before jumping in head first.
Here are some suggestions to help you begin to integrate social networking into some of your traditional marketing and business efforts. Social networking should not be something outside of your traditional marketing efforts. Integration is essential and will maximize your purchase of all marketing, both offline and online.
Remember much like marketing, social media is not sink or swim. The very best marketers are those that take risks, make time to listen to their clients and study from their mistakes. Try, try, try and try again. If you’re doing these three things you will eventually get it right.
Social networking Quick Start:
1. If you do not already have one, setup a Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn account. All 3 of those are must haves for many businesses. Blogs are usually beneficial for most businesses as well. You can begin a WordPress blog free of charge.
2. Create a marketing plan. Without having one, write one or hire a specialist to assist. It doesn’t have to be 100 pages. At minimum take 30 minutes to formalize your goals and objectives. If you have no goals and objectives you will have nothing to measure your ability to succeed and learn from.
3. Next, create a timeline from the activities you have planned. Review the activities of last year, ROI and then any data that can help you make improvements and better decisions in 2010. At minimum try to have a minumum of one theme monthly. This is a great way for smaller businesses to begin integrated marketing.
3. Co-Marketing Partner List: Create a list of your partners, local charities or any other companies you can partner with for some co-marketing activities. Why don’t you get together and share resources, run an ad together and maximize both your voice, market and brand a wareness.
4. Go-To Market Strategy: After you have your calendar a minimum of in draft format, add some key categories for every month. These should include the types of activities or mediums you utilize for marketing. These should or can include social networking, internet marketing via website, local advertising, promotions and campaigns, charity activities and general events. Optional tactics may be fundraisers, seminars, webinars and email blasts.
5. CONTENT CONTENT CONTENT: Now the tricky part… what are you likely to market? What are you going to promote, email, talk with your customers about? What are you likely to tweet, share on facebook or consult with LinkedIn business members? I’ve found this is the area most smaller businesses struggle. If you do not curently have a messaging platform, create one or hire someone to help. At minimum ensure you possess a mission statement, vision, value proposition, company description, product(s) description, benefit statement and list, feature statement and list, tagline, and much more. Developing the information once at the beginning of the year will save you a lot of time later. It will also enable you to become more agile whenever a new opportunity arises for any good deal on a quick ad or co-marketing opportunity, or charity sponsorship. It’s about “Create Once, Use Many”. I also suggest writing some monthly Twitter Tweets, Facebook and LinkedIn posts for every month. I promise should you choose this you will NOT be sorry.
6. Map your calendar to your content. Because you created themes for every month during your marketing plan development, now you can start plugging in content from your message platform. What features or benefits would be best to market in the summer, spring or fall? You will begin to have something to speak about and inspire your customers!! This is goodness friends!
7. LISTEN: Before beginning social networking you have to listen. Pay attention to your customers, partners, mentors and most importantly your visitors. What are they saying about your products or similar products? How are the customers using social media? What social networks could they be “hanging out on”?? You’ll likely be amazed what percentage of them are using it effectively. Take notes of what you learn, and how you are able to contribute content to the social platform to inspire them to read, listen and react to your articles.
8. Develop your Social networking Plan: According to that which you learned in your research, develop a plan that includes goals, objectives and tactics for social networking platforms, audiences, partners and content. This should be mapped for your over arching marketing plan. Should you followed my directions, you will be able to easily map a social networking strategy activities towards the larger plan. Guess what this means folks…wala… you are on the right path for an “integrated marketing” land! Congratulations!
9. Setup Your Social Media World: I don’t have time within this blog post to go into detail about this section. I will be writing some content within the next few weeks which should break down some of the steps for you. The reality is at minimum you need a Facebook Group and Business Page, Twitter Account, and Linked In. If you are targeting niche markets you may need multiple eventually but don’t forget we don’t have to join in head first. There’s much you can do with customizing each of these. Facebook has some awesome features where you can make it function almost like a web page. You can add html make it possible for email subscriptions, surveys, discussions and more.
10. EXECUTE: Now that you have some content it’s time to go for it. Start Tweeting this content you developed in your message platform. Post a Facebook post and share it together with your friends. You’ll be surprised how many individuals will respond, become fans of your Facebook page, join your LinkedIn group, take your survey and respond to an offer. Think positive! Hopefully people want what you have to offer. If not, I’d question your reason for in business.
11. ENGAGE: It is necessary you don’t just blast out “noise”. Pay attention to what your customers have to say. Respond when somebody posts in your Facebook wall. If you notice a brand new Twitter Follower that has a typical interest, send them a note. Social networking is all about conversations and relationships. Inspire your audience and they will follow you, pay attention to you and engage. Engagement results in conversation which leads to rapport built on trust and value added. It’s not until once you have INSPIRED and CONNECTED with your target audiences that you will ACHIEVE the business objectives and goals you are searching for.
12. MEASURE your impact: Since you set goals and objectives you will know your key metrics. If you are a small company who couldn’t hire an expert and didn’t really understand what to expect or measure, it’s okay! A lot of companies are in the same boat. However, regardless measurement is essential! Track your facebook fans, twitter followers. Track what content they responded positively to.
13. IMPROVE: Based upon the first learnings, tweak your approach, strategy, content and much more. CONTINUALLY LISTEN, MEASURE and IMPROVE! This is actually the key to social media. There is no perfect way to send a TWEET. You will have good tweet days and bad.
14. DON’T Quit: Keep going! You earn it this far don’t GIVE UP. Document your findings, wins, successes, learnings, and losses. Keep the head up and have fun!
When you are overwhelmed and realize now why the agency cost was greater than you thought it would be, then contact them for help! Social media needs time to work, focus and dedication.
