Defining a strategy with your social media channels is both simple and complex, depending on how you go after it and how much you are willing to do to make it happen. Far too many people think “hey, I’ve got Facebook and Twitter accounts, I can do social media as well as anyone!” That is like saying, “I have a typewriter, I can write the next great novel!”
While you may have the next great novel in you, we both know that it is far more important to know how to write than it is to know how to use a typewriter. Creating and implementing a good social media marketing strategy is far more inline with being an expert in marketing than it is being in expert at using Facebook or Twitter for personal use.
Having said that, being an expert in marketing is not rocket surgery. Knowing how to operate the profiles in your social media channels is a major part of being able to market on them. While you don’t need to be a social media butterfly, being active on social media sites definitely gives you an edge over anyone who is clueless on them.
The biggest deterrent to a good social media plan, other than simple ignorance, is lack of time. By ignorance, I mean that people either think they can half-ass their social media sites and not have any plan or they don’t think there is any reason to be active online. Either way, you aren’t going to get anywhere.
As for lack of time, there are two solutions for that. One, hire a professional. People like myself do this for a living and can learn your brand, help you create your campaign and strategy and implement it for you. If done right and your product is good enough to close sales, you will make more than you spend on your online marketing and grow to see it the same way you’d see any other form of advertising. The second solution to a lack of time is to put in the effort where you can to create a comprehensive strategy, then make just enough time to do what you have time for the right way. If you can only make two hours a week for social media marketing, there are ways to make the most of that. Using those two hours to schedule five posts for later that week goes much, much further than using those two hours to post three things right then and there and then closing your laptop.
What I’m saying is that having a plan is way better than not having a plan. Putting the time and effort into creating an effective plan before you get started is critical to achieving success. You wouldn’t launch your business without a plan. You wouldn’t launch a television advertising campaign without a plan. You wouldn’t build a website without a plan. Why would you do this without a plan?
I have created an outline that will help you create your own gameplan step-by-step. Enjoy this plan while it is free and hopefully using it will help your business and social media presences grow. Just don’t forget about me when you become rich and famous!