A few weeks back we put up a post with 5 Steps to Creating an Effective Social Media Campaign. Outlined were five steps to get you on track to the promised land of social media. But beware there is no fast track to this promised land. Social media will take time and some elbow grease to get things rolling. So don’t fret if it seems like you are treading water the first few months. We will give you some tips to follow so we can help you reach the oh-so coveted promised land of social media.
- Set Goals. What do you want to accomplish with social media? Are you trying to boost sales or simply trying to mold your brand identity? Maybe both? Without a goal you will have no direction, so make sure you have a focus for your campaign.
- Don’t become just another business on Twitter or Facebook. Find out what sets you apart from your competitors. Use this to influence your posts. If you offer the lowest prices in the area tell everyone about your current sales. In doing this, you must ensure your messages are consistent with what you are actually offering. Don’t post that items are 50% off if they are only 25% off. Having inconsistent information will leave your followers both confused and upset because they are expecting a better deal.
- Be consistent and committed. There are tons of business Twitter accounts out there that tweet for a few weeks then quit. Then a few months down the road they get back into tweeting only to quit again weeks later. If you want a following and followers to actually listen to you, then you then you have to be consistent. You need to post new messages on a daily basis. It can be seen that those who tweet more often or update their Facebook more frequently have a greater number of followers.
- Don’t be afraid of negative feedback. Many businesses simply stay away from social media for fear of negative public reactions, criticism, and potential mishaps in the future. The good thing about this is you can always learn from others who have made mistakes. Look recently at BP or even Brett Favre. Side stepping questions, trying to avoid the public spotlight, and not answering your critics is where you will go wrong. If you do find yourself the target of negative feedback, embrace it, own up to your mistakes, and treat it as a learning process.
There is plenty more to learn about social media but these are some quick hits you can soak up as you begin your social media campaign for 2011. If you have any questions or comments, leave them below!
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