Tackling a social media marketing plan is a bit like eating an elephant - you gotta do it just one bite at a time.
Marty Note
Great starter advice here such as:
Steer clear of divisive topics. Sharing strong opinions on sensitive topics – from politics to parenting – can alienate potential customers. Especially if they have nothing to do with your business, keep opinions away from your social media.
Share and share alike. If you want to grow your network, take the time to provide feedback to people you network with. Share comments on posts in Google+ circles, “like” things on Facebook, take the time to retweet. Oftentimes people in your community will respond in kind.
Add insight. Providing tips or insight to your network gives your business credibility. Take the time to share information that your customers may value.
Master the #hashtag.
If you haven't come to the realization social media IS your business never too late to get with the program. Get started with social media.
Social Media Is Conversation Not Lectures
Social Media is PULL marketing. Pull marketing needs time to establish a relationship. Time to talk and be heard. That's why my favorite social media marketing mistake is #1 -on Forbes list of five common social mistakes - not listening to your audience.
Digital Listening Is Different
Digital listening is different than listening to someone while having a conversation. Digital listening requires social rewards, examples, and a clear ask. Creating a clear ask, defining what you want to happen and why strays into Forbes second mistake - no clear objectives.
Confusion = Don't Buy, Engage, Contribute
Without objective confusion rules. If you don't know why you're doing, saying, or asking something how can the digital receiver possibly know? Confused customers do many things buying is never one of them.
Confusion Is Easy, Clarity Hard
During an almost twenty year career as a digital marketer, I built my first e-commerce website in 1999, clarity is the easiest sin. Think your marketing, motives, and campaigns are clear as a ringing bell on a cold morning in the Himalayas? Think again.
Don't Talk To Yourself About Yourself
All digital marketing is in danger of 1. talking to itself about itself and 2. not listening. Listening isn't easy. Listening is at least twice as hard as talking and digital listening is at least twice as hard as real-life listening or conversational listening where nonverbal clues can help bring you back around can help stop our tendency to talk to ourselves about ourselves.
Favorite Digital Listening Tactics
Here are a few digital listening tactics we recommend:
Those are our initial pre-coffee reactions. More at Curagami.com soon.