Why do plans usually fail?  They don’t fail because it was a bad idea, but they fail due to a lack of commitment.  When there are no immediate results, and the end goal seems farther away than previously imagined, the plan goes down the drain.  With that being said, most businesses need a structured plan in order to carry out their social media presence.  Having a checklist and something to keep you in line will help with the daily maintenance of your social media, while allowing you to stay on top of the recurring tasks that go along with it without falling behind.  For those of you that struggle with the social media presence, I have listed some tips that will help establish a social media plan.  Take a guess at what the first one is…

  1. Commit – You must make yourself a promise that you will stay with it, similar to a new year’s resolution, except that you must follow through with it and be patient.  You don’t want to get bored within the first month after constantly updating and posting.  Make yourself an agreement that you will invest time, energy, and resources no matter what.
  2. Establish Presence – Find where your company or product is already visible and popular.  Yes, it is important to set up a presence on the giant channels like Facebook and Twitter, but it is also important to establish your presence where you already are visible.
  3. Engage Frequently – Those who are most successful when it comes to their social media plan and presence are those that engage steadily and frequently.  Commenting, posting, responding are all part of the daily maintenance it requires.
  4. Create Expert Content – Your followers already like your company and don’t want to hear how great you are.  They want conversation.  They don’t want to hear about sales either, they want to be engaged and see news and thought leadership.  Start a blog, explore trends, and release case studies.  Remember that content is key and to update frequently.
  5. Contests and Promotions – Contests and promotions are enticing and exciting for fans and followers, and they keep them coming back for more.  Run one every couple of months to put yourself ahead of the competition.
  6. Broaden Your Presence – Once you see some success then don’t be afraid to broaden your presence into other social platforms.  If they don’t work then don’t sweat it.  This is where you can try something new and experiment with things like videos and apps.

Author: Michael Whartnaby, Prospectr Marketing