Good Social Media Starts with Good Strategy

Brandie Broihier | @brandienic It happens all too often. A business decides to launch a social media campaign as part of their marketing strategy but does not take the time to develop a specific social media strategy. Their presence across social networks then takes shape without being built on a solid foundation, they do not see the success they expected, and lose faith in social media as a marketing tool.

What went wrong? They may wonder why competitors were successful and they weren't. The answer is pretty logical: they did not develop a strategy before diving in to social media. Good strategy is as essential in social media marketing as it is in any other type of marketing campaign.

Choosing the "right" strategy isn't as complicated as it sounds. While there are proven methods and records of success, there is no one way to use social networking for business. In fact, companies that get creative with social media often see more results than those who only stick with a set of predetermined rules.

Here is a set of guidelines to get you started when establishing your brand, your business, or yourself in social media, following proven methodology, The Social Media Business Equation™

The Social Media Business Equation™ content strategy is a map for turning your social media into business success: 20% Entertain - Make them laugh, cry, or argue. 20% Inform - Give them facts and figures. 40% Interact - Have a conversation. 20% Convert - Ask for what you want.

When creating content, always consider how social media will help satisfy a business need or help clients. You want to tailor your content to the audience you hope to do business with, and your goal is always to make connections, interact, and build relationships.

For example, if your goal is to attract followers in the construction industry, your content might look something like this:

• 20% of your content is informative: linking to articles and websites, posting relevant statistics, and reporting on news and industry trends. Example: Acme reports 17% increase in revenue since implementing new wireless communication devices for use on site.
• 20% should be entertaining. You want to make people laugh, cry, or to stir up controversy. Example: Bored construction worker at Acme industries disciplined for stringing his underpants up a flagpole on site.
• 40% of your overall activity needs to be interactive including asking questions and commenting. It is equally as important to respond to those who mention you, reply to your content, or ask you questions. This is what sets social media apart from all other media and what makes it so effective. Join the conversation. Example: How does your business stay up to date with current trends in the industry?
• 20% of your tweets are for converting to business. Now that you have established a relationship and credibility with your followers, you get to ask for what you want or need. Example: @BuildIt We offer project management strategies for construction companies. I'd love to share the inside scoop. DM for details.

Establishing yourself on any social network takes dedication. Posting content is simply not enough. Social media always involves connecting with others, interacting with followers, and building relationships. Regardless of the platform(s) you choose for your social media strategy (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn,, etc), the content should meet the above criteria for maximum effectiveness.

For more information on how Social Media Delivered can help you with your social media marketing strategies, click here.

Sources: Report: No. 1 social media question: 'How do I measure?' 2012 Social Media Marketing Industry Report