While it’s tempting to dive right in and join the rush to social media it’s best to slow down and take the time do it right. You need a plan!

Define your goals

What do you want to accomplish and how will you measure it? Keep in mind that social media is best used as a platform for ongoing conversation with your audience, not making sales on the spot. Goals can be as simple as the number of fans on the company facebook page or more advanced metrics based on search engine rankings, visitor interactions or sales. It’s best to start off simple, but be prepared to re-evaluate and set new goals frequently.

Determine which social media tools to start with

Take a look at your target audience. Talk to your customers to see which tools they are using and feel most comfortable with. Then step back and look at your organization. What information can you offer your visitors and in what format? Do you have product pictures, videos, white papers, offer classes or access to knowledgeable employees? Armed with this information you’ll be better prepared to select two to three tools that make sense for your organization’s entry into social media.

Learn how to use the tools

Take a look at what other organizations are doing. Don’t limit your research to companies of your size or industry. What type of interactions are they having? Who has an engaged audience and why? Familiarize yourself with the workings of the tools. Make sure that everybody who will be supporting the campaign has set up and uses the same social media tools that will be used by the organization. A “live” social media campaign is not the place to learn the technology by trial and error.

Make the organizational commitment

Social media is very much a get-what-you-put-into-it proposition. Successful social media campaigns take time to and energy to kick off and maintain. Allow time for those involved in the campaign to explore and interact with visitors. Timeliness is of the essence. Again, think of it as a conversation, the quicker you respond and the higher quality the message the better the chance for a positive experience and overall success of the campaign.

Re-evaluate frequently

Take a look at your goals and results. Is it time to add new social media tools or set advanced goals? Don’t be afraid to make changes. Once you get past the initial hurdle of integrating social into your organization adding or changing campaigns can be very easy and rewarding.

Let us know how we can help.

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