This past week I had the good fortune to speak at Automation Alley’s IMPACT 2013 event on social media. The session (two actually as I presented to back-to-back groups) focused on how social media, when approached correctly, should fit seamlessly into your overall branding and marketing communications strategy.
For any PR program, one need start with a bit of introspection into who you are and who you are trying to reach. With regard to the former, it is an examination of your value proposition; what makes you different, better than the competition. Understanding your audience is also essential. From there, one can then develop messaging that resonates with your targets and communicates your differentiators most compellingly and effectively. All of this “front end” work is essential and should form the very foundation for all of your marketing initiatives.
And, to roll out such initiatives, we are avid proponents of taking a multi-platform approach to telling your stories. After all, today there is really no such thing as mass media. We all get our information from so many different places – online and otherwise - that it is essential to examine all of the places the audiences you want to reach reside. And, chances are pretty good that social media platforms, from Facebook to Youtube, are among those stopping points.
Perhaps the most important thing to consider in all this is content. The old catch phrase, content is king, has perhaps never been more apropos. Here, once again, one must consider audience. What content type of content will resonate most? How often should I be posting? What am I trying to accomplish? How measurable are my goals? Valid and important questions that should be asked, evaluated and contemplated often.
Because social media is a moving target; forever changing and evolving, forcing us to continually adapt and adjust. None of it is the “end all, be all” (just consider Facebook’s recent “pay for play” tactics post IPO). Yet, it is, to be sure, one very important place to be. What’s your approach?