strategy

Does your Social Media Strategy include the words “Social Media?”

One of our favorite pages of late is on Facebook, and it’s entitled “What the — is your social media strategy?” Brilliant!

The premise is something like this: post ridiculous corporate speak in the form of social media strategy treatises. Most of them sound something like this:

“Use social media to leverage our business objectives and enhance our value proposition through sustainable social media content.”

We all get stuck in the muck sometimes – especially when trying to talk up the differences between strategy and tactics. Or what the objective is behind what we’re doing. Or, to be more blunt, why we are doing it in the first place.

Here’s the danger zone, which goes beyond a social media “strategy” that uses the word “social media.” In fact, we’d like to share 5 tips for setting the right social media strategy, no matter what you’re doing.

1. You need clearly defined business objectives first.
2. Social Media is a broad term.
3. One man’s Twitter is another person’s waste of time.
4. Are you selling or showcasing your thought leadership?
5. No sensible football strategy includes the word “football.”

Let’s break them down, one by one.

Clearly defined business objectives. Talked to a prospect the other day that had spent way too much on SEO, and didn’t have much to show for it. SEO can be tremendously valuable – if you are relying on online leads. This business, however, had been sold something that they weren’t ready for – and, since theirs was local and referral-based, their early focus was on building a great service.

SEO should have been well down the list. Social Media, I’d offer, should be before SEO – but this particular company isn’t ready for it yet.

Social Media is a broad term. Remember the Halcyon Days, when dot-coms were built and well-funded based on some joker’s idea scribbled on a cocktail napkin? Now, “web strategy” doesn’t exist. “Content strategy,” or “Portal strategy,” or, gasp, “Marketing strategy” have taken over – and these strategies will use the web to get stuff done.

Social Media should be the same way for your company: it’s a broad term, way too broad to be the catch-all some corporations want it to be.

One man’s Twitter is another person’s waste of time. I love Twitter. And I don’t use Foursquare. That list could go on – when you break down the individual tools, you can easily see that they are channels with way different reasons for being, and way different ways that they can be used by your company.

Are you selling or showcasing your thought leadership? Or, heck, are you engaged in conversational marketing, or maybe just doing the social thing to have a little fun?

There’s no problem with using social media to sell stuff. But the tone and tenor – and the strategy – need to be much different than if you’re showcasing thought leadership.

No sensible football strategy includes the word “football.” Duh.

Have you ever heard a football coach say “we’re going to win the football game by playing effective football, utilizing football to win at football?”

If Social Media, to you, is Marketing – then you are creating a Marketing strategy. Social Media can – and maybe should – be a part of your Marketing strategy.

Here’s hoping you can use the above tips to (1) not sound stupid and (2) actually be effective – with your marketing, your sales, your communications, your PR. Any of it. Just not with using social media to leverage your social media.