In my social media training classes I quite often get asked “which channels should we focus on?” and my altogether flaky answer is “that depends”. It depends entirely on what an organisation’s main business focus is and where your target audience is interacting. It’s at this point that you need to fight through the hype and evaluate whether a social media-based campaign is really going to deliver value for money.
Whatever you do, you should always start your online campaigns with an objective, metrics you wish to measure them by, tools to monitor them with, a chain of command to handle online interactions, a content editorial calendar and regular dates to review the effectiveness of your campaigns.
Prioritising search (SEO)
If I were to start a business from scratch tomorrow my first priority would be Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and everything else would be an add-on. Why prioritise search? Most companies will rely heavily on being found online, so SEO should be their absolute priority. You can start out with a little Pay-Per-Click (PPC) marketing while the “organic” search kicks in. One way to improve your SEO is to regularly post optimised blogs, along with a whole host of other techniques to build in-bound links, such as using article marketing and Slideshare.
Also, get your company LinkedIn profile optimised and get on directories, I blogged recently on how this some basic DIY SEO worked for me. As a result I’ve not had to do any new business outreach for my company, UK tech PR agency Planet Content, as leads have been coming through to me directly as a result of search. SEO never sleeps, remember. You may be top one week but your competition will be hot on this, too.
Core Pillars
So, once your website is working for you and you’re comfortable with your SEO, what should the core channels of interaction be and why? Given that the key investment in social media is often time and not money, as so many channels are free to engage over, what should be the main tenets of your campaigning? Focus on as few as you possibly need to:
Twitter: Used properly, Twitter is great for pushing content, making contacts, gaining insight and reputation management. Read our Twitter best practice guide for more
LinkedIn: Great for individuals and businesses alike, LinkedIn carries really good page authority. Take a look at Linkedin Answers and get involved in the discussions
Blogs: As well as generating your own blogs, what about doing a little online PR yourself and interacting with key bloggers in your field? Posting on blogs is great for in-bound links, as well as demonstrating thought leadership. Why not pitch to those bloggers to get a little of their airtime? Check out our guide to blogger relations
Facebook: Do you run a consumer-facing business? If so, Facebook opens a world of 500 million-plus potential customers to you. Get involved! If you run a business-to-business company don’t bother with Facebook, you’re better off using other channels. Take a listen to our podcast on Facebook marketing
Video: Have you got something visual to showcase to the world? Could you create an entertaining viral? Luckily, video marketing isn’t all just about YouTube, there are other video sites out there, but bear in mind that – given its incredible popularity – YouTube is technically the second most used search engine in the world. People are out there looking for your content! For more, check out our presentation on video marketing
Podcasting: Have you got a story to tell? Have you got some practical advice to impart? If so, why not explore podcasting as a channel by which to build up a subscriber base? We ran an event on this very subject recently, so check out how we reckon you can use podcasts for business
Geosocial networks: Is your business reliant on footfall or local customers? If so, get yourself listed on geosocial networks such as Gowalla, Foursquare, Geomium or Facebook Places and start making offers for customers active on those services. It’s all about the word of mouth nowadays. Here’s some more on using Foursquare for business
Conclusion
At the risk of sounding like my gran, in social media you only get out what you put in. But that input will determine how successful you are. Top tips:
- Prioritise SEO, make sure all content is optimised
- Set objectives up front, define roles, make sure all your organisation’s staff are digitally literate, monitor and measure
- Blog well, blog often
- Choose your social media channels well
- Engage in as much online (and offline) PR as you can
- Use common sense at all times (just ask the Bishop of Willesden)
