Many small business owners start participating in social media sites with high expectations about this new form of marketing.  They join a site and participate for about a month.  When they don’t see any immediate results, they quit because “It’s a big time waster.† In this article of the Small Business Tool Box, you will learn how using a strategy makes all the difference in social media marketing.
Many small business owners start participating in social media sites with high expectations about this new form of marketing.  They join a site and participate for about a month.  When they don’t see any immediate results, they quit because “It’s a big time waster.† In this post, you will learn how using a strategy makes all the difference in social media marketing.
Random Offline Marketing
Most small business off line marketing produces minimal results because of its randomness.  They create a newspaper ad and wait for the phone to ring. They try direct mailing and get almost no response.  They attend a Chamber of Commerce mixer and come away with a lot of business cards and no business.  The fundamental weakness is the randomness of these marketing efforts—a series of disjointed events.
What is a Marketing Strategy?
A marketing strategy is the opposite of disjointed events.  According to Mark Joyner’s latest book, Integration Marketing, (John Wiley, New Jersey, 2009) a strategy is a conceptual approach to achieving a desired end.  It is simple.  It is easy to remember and communicate to others.
With a strategy you have a framework that allows you to select information that is relevant to your desired goal. Â It is consistent and at the same time fluid to allow you to adapt to the changing landscape. Â And when things are not going well, it provides the answers on what to do next.
Social Media Marketing Strategy
An example of social media marketing strategy:  Let’s say you have the goal of building a loyal group of followers, friends and connections on social media sites.  One of your strategies would be to demonstrate your expertise to help build your followers.  You could carry out your strategy in a number of different ways:
• You could provide valuable tips to the group
• You could give away free materials
• You could survey the group
• You could publish articles that gave you credibility
• You could have influential people endorse you
• You could identify valuable resources for the group
Some ways may be more effective in establishing your expertise. Â You keep the winners; you drop the losers. Â Instead of random events on your social media sites, follow a framework that focuses on how you participate, what you say and what you do on these sites.
Conclusion
Success in small business marketing comes from using strategies not random events. Â What applies to off-line marketing, also applies to social media marketing. Â Social media marketing does not need to be random!
To be continued, your comments are welcomed…
Al Hanzal
