How to build your social media strategy

- If you had to describe your company's approach to social media in one sentence, what would you say? That you are strategic, targeted, and have great relationships with your customers, that you continually test and adapt, that your social media programs are well integrated throughout your organization, that it's a hit or miss activity, that social media is still a sore point for certain members of the C-suite, or maybe it's a combination of some or all of the above. Regardless of the way you describe it, we can probably agree on a couple of things. Social media is here to stay. The pace of change isn't slowing down and a week doesn't go by without some tech news or announcements. And if you want to keep track of what's happening, you may want to check out my Digital Marketing Trends course, it's a series that's updated every two weeks. As marketers, you are expected to manage your social media programs and integrate them with all your other plans. And that's the key, integration and being true to your brand's character and voice on whatever platform you're on. That doesn't mean you have to spout the exact same message on each. In much the same way you wouldn't wear a bathing suit to work, hopefully your brand can show different aspects of its personality on various social channels. You just have to know how to act in the setting you're in and understand when to loosen or take off your corporate tie, so to speak. That's tough for some traditional marketers and PR folks who believe message consistency was everything. Nowadays, you need to figure out which aspect of your brand personality is most appropriate for the channel you're on. There's no bad answer here. So rely on your brand values as a guide. You've heard this before, but it starts with your customers the relationships you've built with them, and knowing where and when they want to hear from you. That means shifting your thinking from marketing to editorial, from selling to helping, and it means taking an honest and critical look at your strengths and weaknesses and the type of content you can excel at and which isn't currently being produced. You need to attach a value to your social media efforts. If you think of content marketing as an asset you'll be more mindful of what you create and share. And remember, digital is trackable and measurable, but don't fall into the trap of counting likes. Establish measurable results that tie into your business and marketing goals. In the early days of social media, it was all about volume and speed. And while it's still important to respond as quickly as you can, there is no point pushing out content just for the sake of it. Emphasize quality over quantity. You don't want to be thought of as a content polluter. Make strategic choices, pick your channels, learn how to both fit in and stretch the limits. Be creative and strive for excellence. And remember, selling is a nuanced action. It's more than just pushing out your messages over and over again.