My Social Media Marketing Strategy
In a blog post last week, Warrior Preneur Ann Evanston asked 3 questions. I replied to her post, but the questions still deserved more focused answers.
[Edited 1/2/12 to add: Ann Evanston’s initial post asked the following 3 questions:
“1-Are you developing a social media marketing strategy that is direct contact and follow-up, or advertising?
2-Are you developing your time accordingly based on that strategy?
3-If you have chosen direct contact and follow-up, as your social media marketing strategy, have you developed your strategy to include “follow up” (lead generation/relationship building) from social media?“]
So just in time for he New Year, here is the direction that I am planning to take.
Are you developing a social media marketing strategy that is direct contact and follow-up, or advertising?
Planning direct contact through
1. Facebook – it is where the people are. Post on my own page and also post consistently on pages that are likely to refer business to me.
2. Blogging. Use Facebook to publicize the new blog posts.
3. Twitter. Need to learn more.
Open to Facebook advertizing – I see how incredibly focused it is – I know it can play Ads to people asking about building websites or following competitor pages.
Are you developing your time accordingly based on that strategy?
I’d love to think it could be done in less, but this is my expectation
2 hr/week. Develop and write 1 blog post
1 hr/wk. Plan and schedule Facebook Posts
2.5 hr/wk (30 min/day) Respond to comments on my SoMe activity and check SoMe activity by referral partners to see if I can add value.
2 hr/week. Visit the blogs of referral partners – or fellow bloggers in Blogger Monday or any other Blogger Challenge I take on – to comment on those blogs.
If you have chosen direct contact and follow-up, as your social media marketing strategy, have you developed your strategy to include “follow up” (lead generation/relationship building) from social media?
Lead Generation:
My SoMe experience so far has been contacts from people who follow my Facebook page. Once they have contacted me, they go into my whole ‘pipeline management’ process to ensure they get phone calls and further information.
Relationship building
My main products are custom websites. So I provide business services to business owners. Most clients come to me by referral, and most referrers are people whose businesses complement mine – graphic designers, Mac consultants, PC consultants, printers, SEO experts, Social Media consultants… So when I am online representing my business, I take a structured approach to building relationships with businesses who are likely to refer to me. I put time aside to visit their pages and support them online.
Are you willing to share your answers to these 3 questions?
hmmm, you mean you felt the question deserved more thought from you, not that “I replied to her post, but the questions still deserved more focused answers?” Although I appreciate that you at least gave me credit, after that big but, taking my questions for your blog feels a bit plagiarized. The questions should have been in quotes, with my name and linked.
Hi Ann, Yes – I see your point. It was not intentional… I think I started by saying that my initial reply to you was tangential to the questions, and the questions themselves deserved more direct answers. I edited that out, but I will put it back in.
looks like you are covering most of the bases I use Posterous to send post to Facebook and Tweets to Twitter regarding new blog post or random stuff I like it’s not in anyway structured just helps me get the message across different platforms quickly using email
Abigail,
I an using a multi-prong strategy. I use blogging, social media, email, and in-person contact.
You seem to have a funnel system more developed than mine. But, as Rana suggested, once the goal is set, the action steps have come more naturally.
I’ll look forward to more posts on this as your clarity evolves,
~Keri
Abi,
I can see your action steps but I can’t see the main Goal of
your social media strategy. I think first thing to consider when creating any
strategy is to clarify your main goal.
Once you have that out of the way, then you will see the
action steps automatically.
It is like adding the final destination to your “Car Navigation
System” then you don’t have to worry about the route. J
Hope this will help.
Thanks Rana, good point! I started this post to reply to a specific question. You are making me think that replying to your question would be a great post to start the New Year.
My approach is to both have direct contact i.e. blog commenting, messaging and also some advertising. I think it’s okay to use both but you will have to find the right balance that’s appropriate for your business.