With the explosion of social media usage, businesses are frantically searching for ways to engage people where they are. And that’s online.
Here are a few facts:
• There are over 500 million active users on Facebook.
• By July 2010, 20 million messages (“Tweets”) were sent through Twitter.
• The change in social media use among Baby Boomers 55-64 rose from 9% in December 2008 to 43% in December 2010.
• Social networking site usage grew 88 percent among Internet users aged 55-64 between April 2009 and May 2010.
Companies are responding by building Facebook pages, setting up Twitter accounts, and developing corporate blogs. The problem is a lot of these companies are setting up the tools before they actually have a strategy in place.
It really isn’t helpful to simply set up a presence online. There’s much more to it than that. To make the most of social media, companies need to design experiences that deliver real value in return for their customers’ time, attention, and ultimately, their endorsement.
A good social media strategy revolves around the concept of building a community. The community would revolve around your brand or company. As the leader of the community, you will nurture existing customers and attract new ones through a process of ongoing conversation. Your strategy will define that process.
There is no “one-size-fits-all” for social media marketing strategies. Each plan should be tailored to your product or service and your customers. If you don’t have experience developing a social media marketing strategy this process can be outsourced. Just make sure to pick a partner who takes the time to know your company and your clients before you are thrown into the middle of the social media mayhem.