Social Media - A Business Inside A Business
- Tiffany M
- Apr 26, 2014
- 3 min read
You should think of your Social Media Tactics as a business inside of a business.
Just like you would for a startup business you should write up a business plan for your social media program. The reason this is so important is because you need to have a vision and a path that you're going to take to reach it.
Why Is A Social Media Business Plan Important:
1. I see it happen a lot where businesses just start posting random things, there next big idea, plans for the future etc etc. and there is no follow through. People don't often buy into an offer or service the first time they see something. They watch, for days, months, maybe even years. If they find you to be inconsistent with your messages or not following through with thing they tend to move on.
2. There are new social media platforms coming out all the time and you are encouraged to join the next big thing so you don't miss out on business. The problem is you can spread yourself so thin across so many platforms that you are wasting time and not doing a good job at any of them. Pick one...Master it...Then you can move on. Having a business plan and a vision will help you stay focused.
3. A business plan will prepare you for what it might cost you along the way. A lot of people that come to me what sales but say they have a new business and don't have a big budget. Well the problem is, nothing is free and you have to spend money to make money. If you don't want to spend money you have to spend a lot of TIME, which in business we know is MONEY.
If you have a Facebook Page for your business I want you to ask yourself WHY you have it. If you know me at all you will already know that I'm big on the question "WHY?" Start asking this questions about everything you do, and if you don't have an answer...
STOP DOING IT!
If I had a dollar for every person that said they wish they had more hours in a day, I would financially rich. Do the little "Ask Yourself WHY?" exercise and it will free up ridiculous amounts of time. You will be surprised.
What's Your Mission Statement?
Like your business you should have a mission statement for you Social Media efforts. It needs to be different then your business. Here is why, your business is about what you sell or have to offer and what it can do for people. Your Social Media (which you are now viewing as a business) is not about selling at all, it's about building a community.
Here are some examples:
PetSmart's Social Media program isn't about moving lots of pet products. Rather, the company says, "Our goal is to provide you with the best possible Facebook community to share your love and passion about pets." That translates into a steady dialogue of pet owner Q&A and terabytes of uploaded photos of puppies and kittens.
Coca-Cola puts the focus on the consumer, not themself, calling it's Facebook presence "a collection of your stories showing how people from around the world have helped make Coke into what it is today."
Look at your Social Media brand as a community; it should stand for something bigger then just merely selling stuff. And it's that greater identity that should drive your Social Media approach.
"The number one reason people fail at Social Media marketing is they don't have a solid foundation," Shama Kabani, author of The Zen of Social Media Marketing. "They don't have a brand, they don't understand the outcome they provide, and they have absolutely no way of differentiating themselves from the competition.
Before going any further with your Social Media Marketing, make sure you and your company can clearly articulate what is different about your business and how you will leverage that specialness in your Social Media Program.
Among the hundreds of millions of real people engaging on social networks, why will anyone feel passionate about you?
Thanks for reading, if you got any value out of this please pass it on and leave a comment.
Thanks
Bernie Martin
PS: For private coaching on setting up your social media program you can contact me at bernie@berniemartincet.com
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