You can do some great things out on social media but guess what? You need a plan…

These days, when it comes to your SEO and your social media marketing strategies you just can’t “wing it” as they say. Free spirited spontaneity certainly has a well loved and respected place for all of us but not when it comes to the success of your business. You had a plan for your business startup, didn’t you? As research shows time and again, if you have a written and formal plan, you are likely to achieve it around 80% of the time.

  • As mentioned, it needs to be written down for all to see. Then your goals are right there, looking back at you every day. Daring you to do them. What exactly are you looking to accomplish with your social media marketing? Brand awareness? Driving traffic? Customer service and public relations? All of the above? Discuss what it is you want to do and then write it down.
  • The next steps you need to take it to attach a time line to it. You can’t just leave it hanging out there in the wind. When do you want to see this goal achieved? Next, you must make sure you can concretely measure the results of the plan and it must be realistic. It must be a plan that can actually be reached with a normal amount of considerable effort.
  • Also, does your goal have relevance to your business aims and objectives? Will your social media marketing plan get your business where you want it to get you? Your goals need to be clear to everyone with no ambiguity at all. Plus, everyone must know what part they need to play so that the plan actually works. There has to be the overall motivation to get the thing done. Everyone has to buy into the plan and it has to be devised to that it is a serious challenge to their skills and abilities.
  • Finally, there must be feedback and constant evaluation. Your team needs to know that their input is valued and their concerns and ideas carry weight with the company. In addition, if certain parts of the plan, or the entire plan, just doesn’t seem to be working after a fair amount of time, shut it down and start again. Trying to hammer the same bent nail into the stud won’t ever get the wall built.

-Written by Kevin SawyerÂ