Social media is a conundrum for some company leaders. It’s on trend and you know you need it. But how does it fit? Should you be on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Pintrest… and the list goes on and on. It can be overwhelming. We manage social media as a tool within a client’s strategic communications plan. Our approach: keep it simple.
Strategically choose your channels. More channels is not better. It’s simply more to manage. Is your business selling to other businesses or consumers? Are you news driven? Bottom line, know your audience and choose the social media tool where those people are active. Our client the Stutz Artists Association uses Instagram — well. Instagram is visual as is their art. Meanwhile, our HVAC client has a fantastic following on Faceboook. LinkedIn doesn’t work for either of these clients.
Think through your post mix. Social media is a lot of things: it’s news and updates AND it’s entertainment. Posting serious stuff about your company is great. Yet chances are your staff is also a group of fun people. All work and no play makes your channels dull. Think about the mix: 25% brand, 25% news, 50% fun. 
Here’s a personal example. I enjoy traveling and am in a few travel cruise groups. People who cruise have a few pet peeves, including deck chair saving. Over the summer, a friend and I “staged” a photos on deck to be playful. Now when the subject comes up, I like to post this photo of a banana holding a chair to lighten the mood (and I always say it was staged and only for fun). This one went crazy. It’s entertainment. It lightened a serious topic. An extreme example perhaps but a good one to show people want to be entertained.
Plan ahead. A company doesn’t plan a product launch the Monday before it releases. Don’t plan your social media that day. We think a month ahead. Outline posts by day. Share the posts with clients and other stakeholders. Yes, the nature course of business dictates more posts over time, but planning ahead and posting ahead alleviates that–“What do we post this week?” conundrum.
Measure. What posts get good engagement and what posts tank? Yes, some posts won’t get likes and chatter. Pulling measurement reports allows you to decide what to keep in future planning and what to stop doing. Of course, some posts are necessary and aren’t always liked (examples include straight branding). Reviewing stats creates a system to measure and consider what’s needed in the social media mix and why.
Social media is not a stand alone communications tool. It should be part of a larger strategic communications program that had goals align with a company or non-profit corporate strategy. If you’d like to talk more, contact us now.