Social Media Strategy – June 21

Today's tip is pretty simple and doesn't require brain surgery - don't use it as an after thought. There are well over 500 million people on Facebook and a shocking number of them log in every single day. This is an incredibly powerful communication medium, not a "nice-to-have if there is any budget left over". So how is interacting with your consumers (ie social media) still an ‘elective’ marketing activity for some brands? Simply put there are many people today who would have said this the following if they were in their marketing positions over a hundred and fifty years ago at Western Union:

"This 'telephone' has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us."

That's a real quote from a Western Union internal memo from 1876. Today's social media strategic tip - create a full fledged program, don't use already overworked staff to fill in half heartedly and definitely do not expect to become a star brand without any effort (meaning no resources, plan, communication strategy or tactics to engage your audience). At the end of the day you're not interacting in social media at all, you're simply talking to the people who buy your product. People (ie consumers) like to deal with (read: buy things) other people (example: that's you!) they know.