Five Keys To Building A Social Media Plan & Strategy

Most Social Media Experts Don’t Know The Difference Between Tactics & Strategy

Very few businesses get it. More and more so-called social media experts don’t get it. Participation in social networks and the occasional social media contribution doesn’t make for making business social nor is it a substitute for understanding social business or the emerging (should I say ubiquitous) social community. That is, just because you’ve planted your stake in the ground and developed a Facebook business page, created a Twitter account and hired a “social media manager” doesn’t mean your business is social.

Things take time. Social media and understanding and using social networks requires more than just a tactical approach. Doing isn’t participating nor engaging. According to Forbes Magazine about 1%of business has optimized and leveraged social media strategically and optimized how it integrates into the organization.

How do you describe your social media and networking activities? Here’s Forbes breakout of businesses and how involved they are today in social business:

• 60% – Ad Hoc
• 30% – Awareness
• 9% – Integrated
• 1% – Optimized

There’s no question that social media and the social networks are changing the way we do business. And as Mark Fidelman noted in Forbes, “neither Rome nor a Social Business was Built In a Day.”

“We must first move towards a new business culture, informed by purpose, mission, objectives and the business environment, both economic and social. Realizing a new business culture requires a strategy.”

Before any company can impact or change culture, it needs to look at the basics. Much like business planning or home building, to optimize and ensure success you better have a plan and build a solid foundation. In this short video I share the basics: Five Keys To Building A Strong Social Media Strategy and Plan.

If you’re merely reacting or doing, it’s time to start thinking.

So for my digital marketing and social media tip of the week, I’m pleased to give you a basic overview of what you need to do to develop a strategy and plan so you can build a foundation that will help you build a socially optimized business.

Follow Allan Karl on Twitter  |  Follow Fidelman on Twitter