A beginners guide to approaching a Social Media strategy for your organization or company.

I find that the more organizations I work with the more people who in diving communications strategy don’t understand how exactly can there  company or organization enter, and successfully manage their presence in the social media sphere. For me a a visual person who draws analogies (often too many) to understand concepts and ideas. So, here’s one to help to understand the strategy, goals, practices that can help you to design and execute a social media strategy for your company or organization.

I will use something pretty familiar to all of us the help explain, high school. Anyone will do private, public and even alternative. Doesn’t matter its the universal steps we all take when entering high school that are the same universal steps when engaging in social media as an additional and effective communication tool for your company or business.

First Day, Freshman Year:

Before your first day, hopefully you have chosen a high school that has all of the sports, academics, an social activities you require at your high school of choice.

Like your first day in high school, you probably did not know may people. It’s a big step. Your nervous and anxious. As you prepare the night before you get your best clothes that will represent you properly. As you enter the building you look for similar people like your self. You eavesdrop on conversations to figure out where you think you might fit in.

You pay close attention to the rules. As to learn them quickly, you don’t want to make any mistakes, this will surely cause public embarrassment. Next, you try to figure who the cool kids are and hopefully get to hang out with them at the lunch table. This will ultimately make you cool as well.

As with social media the same steps are taken. Before your first day you scout SM platforms, Facebook, Twitter, Blogging, etc.. to determine which platform has the audience, and reach that will require to be effective. This step is key, make sure you choose a platform or two, or three..  that has the audience you wan to reach. First step in a successful SM career.

Now that you have chosen the High School (Social Media platforms..) You will do as any other H.S. freshman would do.. You enter your first day looking good! The great thing about SM is your organizations has to be honest, if not it will show. So clean up your act. get your messaging  together, understand how you want to look, and look the part. The realm of SM can spot a fake, or poser, from a mile away. And the goal is to be accepted by your audience, look, talk, and engage as the rest of your future friends and audience is. Hey it’s your freshmen year, don’t want to be embarrassed or piss anyone off, you’re new here. Until you can add value to the audience, tread lightly and listen.

Listen, Listen, Listen!!

Do your remember standing at your locker between classes and hearing literally 20 or 30 different conversations simultaneously. when you heard something of interest, you made a mental note of what was said and by who. All in the name of determining how you were going to fit into this new school. Well, the same goes for your SM strategy. Listen to the people in the spaces that are talking about your, your product, your competitors, your mission, your audience, etc.. Here you will find opportunities to jump in the conversation to establish value, and ultimately becoming one of the cool kids.

How do you jump in the conversation?

Create and comment on blog posts, twitter feeds. Offer resources and valuable content that is relevant to the conversations your audience is having. Utilize your employee or extended network to engage them in creating conversations around your organization or company that will draw likeminded others along with birthing internal ideas.

Who are the cool kids?

These are the guys and gals you want to ultimately be like. Everyone knows them, even the teachers. All the kids look up to them, and they push the trends of the student body.  These were the jocks, and pretty cheerleaders. (it’s the dame everywhere..) The Influencers. In your quest to listen, Identify the cool kids. They will help you to understand trends and sentiment around your brand (.. if they know about you.) If they don’t know about you, keep adding value to there circles, they must be the circles you wan to eventually be in, and you will get noticed. And then, Wallah! You’re a cool kid, and influencer. Just like High School, that influential junior or senior, was once a lonely not-so-popular Freshman on the road to being a cool kid.

Sophomore Year (…not literally.. well in high school maybe)

At this point your should be well on your way to learning the what circles to play in and what lunch table to sit at. You know what to say, and who to say it too. The same exists in SM. As you  continue to engage and add value in relevant conversations, your following will increase and you will be closer to being a cool kid or influencer. This take time, but well worth it. You will have a stronger hold on your audience as they will be looking to you as a resource or though leader.

This time your should be honing your message and identifying what conversations are most effective on what platform, Facebook, twitter, bloggers, etc…

By junior and senior year you to can be a cool kid. If you dressed properly, spoke the right language, and eat at the right table. Congratulations, you are now a cool kid or influencer in your particular area. You should have a good amount or friends or followers. You should have an engaged audience that speaks too you. Your should also have a hangout that you are at regularly. You see the cool kids always have a hangout. That way everyone knows where they can be found. Kind of like your digital property of choice. When you post or comment consistently, your telling everyone. “This is where you can find me, this is where the Cool Kids hang out.”

Just like High School when you started engaging your organization in social media.

You were a nobody with a dream, and you will end up a somebody, with many like minded friends and followers, a couple of cool places to hang out and talk ( your digital properties of choice), and have added effective and timeless value to your particular circle of friends.

You’ve become a social media influencer in your industry.
You may now walk across the stage, and accept your diploma!

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Ken Briscoe, entrepreneur founder & of A6 Media.
At A6 we enhance traditional marketing and advertising activities, and ultimately revolutionize the way brands connect with their audiences.

Interested in learning more on how we can help your business, or brand.
Give us a shout at (866) 928-4080. Or reach out directly to me at kenbriscoe@a6media.com

Be good to everyone!