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Internet Marketing Strategy: Social Media Marketing - Part 3

04/24/2008

In part one social media was introduced with the reasons why it is an important part of a comprehensive Internet Marketing Strategy.

In part two how to get started was covered.

Before a social media strategy can be developed there are two earlier steps:

1. The listen step - not actually "listening" but researching and observing what is being said online about your brand, your products/services and your executives.

2. Setting goals-covered in this article.

Goals are broad statements or objectives of ideal future conditions that are intended to be accomplished by the organization. They will form part of the overall planning in the strategy document.

Goals basically embrace the visions of the company into concrete statements of strategic direction. What are the broad intentions and inspirations of the group?

Setting goals is an important part of the process as without goals the strategy has no clear direction. These factors need to be taken into account when flushing out your goals:

  • What do you want to achieve in broad but measurable terms?
  • What overall corporate strategies or Internet Marketing Strategies need to be considered? Have past strategies worked? Are you starting over?
  • What audiences/verticals should you be communicating with?
  • What personnel resources do you have now and what ones could be acquired? A good plan needs to take this account. People turn dreams into realities. Do you have them? Can you get them?
  • What financial resources (budget) is available or could be made available if a compelling case could be made to the CFO?
  • How can you reach out to the people you currently communicate with and educate them? You current customers could be a major resource for to launch and maintain your social media marketing.
  • Identify resources and topics for content. You need to "think like publisher" and plan to generate content on a regular basis. This can be as simple as someone writing a newsletter or a blog. Then there could be full scale production of audio and video content.
Some possible goals that might be included in your social media strategy:
  • Find online communities to establish alliances and help in the spread of publicity
  • Provide those interested in our company/products with current, relevant information
  • Provide dialogue capabilities with customers and prospects
  • Enhance branding and positioning
  • Build brand equity and product awareness for new and existing customers
  • Identification of influential bloggers/user communities
  • Push linking to increase SEO results
  • Generate prospect interest leading to increased sales or share of market
Your goals should be general statements of desired intentions over a period of time. They should reflect the high level visions of the company all leading to greater success. Good goals would also be measurable both in the end results as well as the parts leading up to it.

It is worth it to spend some time working out your goals for your social media strategy and how they fit into your overall Internet Marketing Strategy.

About the Author:

Doug Hay is the co-founder and CEO of Expansion Plus Inc, a leading Los Angeles-based Internet marketing and public relations firm. E+ was an early adopter of these new technologies while leveraging the principals’ multi decades of experience in marketing, public relations, sales and business development. For more information about Doug Hay and Expansion Plus, please visit Expansion Plus.

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