What makes up your social media strategy? Maybe the first question should be: do you have a strategy or plan yet? Mention social media and most think of the big 3 to 4 – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and others. That’s covered. Out there on a regular basis. Having a presence in those spaces. That’s the plan. That’s the strategy.

This can get you started in the short-term. But long-term – no matter if you’re a small business or large – you need a solid foundation. (What Makes up a Social Marketing Strategy?,  eMarketer Digital Intelligence.)

1. Monitor your brand. Simple enough. But what do you do with what you hear? Establish processes so that this information gets shared with the right departments and upper levels of management. That it doesn’t just sit in some PowerPoint deck or database. And, of course, know how to respond in a timely manner when the need arises.
2. Guidelines for managing ongoing activities, especially allocating resources – who does what and when, how much time needs to be spent, and on what.
3. Defining company policies, internal and external use tends to get overlooked. And these are critical. Whether you encourage active participation or not, make sure your employees know what they can and can’t do.
4. Monitor employee use. Do you know who already uses social media? Or who wants to? Keep in mind that many of your employees may be using social media for personal use. What and how much do you allow to overlap, or spill over, between personal and business. Help employees understand what is acceptable.
5. Follow through with established policies. If there are consequences you have to be prepared to track, then carry out and move forward.

Having a solid foundation to build your social media strategy will help you and your employees use it and use it effectively.

If you like, leave a comment. I’d love to know your thoughts. What strategies or plans are you thinking about? If you need a little assistance, let’s get together and chat over coffee (tea for me!).