In the last few years, social media has been the go-to solution for organizations seeking a quick fix for things from raising event attendance to publicizing their latest and greatest. Facebook this, tweet that, YouTube this. But, if the past failures of McDonald's, Kenneth Cole, Volkswagen, amongst others, teach us anything, it's that strategy is key. Ad-hoc social media activity is the enemy.
Organizations -- from government agencies to non- and for-profits -- with a clearly defined strategy are in a better position to alert, engage, and activate their target audiences. Alert is to raise awareness for the organization's cause, mission, values, campaign, or whatever its goal. Engage is to loop community members into the conversation (and spreading the word) about its goals. Activate is to motivate members into active involvement through donations, attendance, purchases, or any other specific outcome.
How do organizations layout a social media strategy that's also a logical extension of their overall organizational strategy? From the ground up. Here are ten critical steps and key questions to answer in each:
- Layout the strategic context. What are the goals of the organization with respect to its mission, vision, and growth? What are the strategic, financial, and operational objectives of the organization's social media strategy? What is the organization's case statement? How does the organization's social media strategy support the broader organizational vision?
All of this sound like a lot of work -- and it is. The depth to which organizations dive into each step depends on their strategic objectives, size, and available resources. For example, smaller organizations with less bandwidth may decide early on to focus on only a small subset of opportunities.
Did I miss anything? What are some of the lessons your organization has learned? What best practices have been most valuable for you? Don't forget to share your thoughts in the comments below!