Social media is still, relatively speaking, in its infancy stage—in terms of human development, it hasn’t even reached its “teens.” In spite of being so “young,” though, it has had a humungous effect on humanity . . . as much, one might say, as the Internet itself.
Social media hasn’t just connected people all over the world that might have never “met,” it has re-defined, if not completely re-structured, not only what marketing is but what it can do.
Simply put, it has greatly expanded avenues for branding/marketing capacity and effectiveness.
One of the few downsides to this, however, is that it has now dared everyone on this planet with a product/service to sell to either get on aboard or get left behind. Getting on board, though, is the easy part; ultimately, you want to excel, to beat the competition at its own “game.”
Here’re some affordable, practical and proactive ideas on how to do this:
Work out a brand-focused comprehensive strategy on how to get more out of emojis in designated postings.
Strive to engage people at a personal, microcosmic level . . . this can’t be mass produced, rushed, or faked . . . which is why you need to assign personnel that not only have good people skills but also know the intricate and somewhat different dynamics of social media settings.
Make sure that most (if not all) of your postings attempt to stir up emotional reactions . . . this isn’t done by simply imparting information but, rather, by eliciting responses that come more from the heart than the brain.
Cover or delve into things that are popular, up-to-date, and most probably in the minds of most people . . . this means staying on top of current, popular events and focusing on these topics as much as possible—and, just like products have to be rotated on the shelves of grocery stores, topics covered in social media also need to be carefully rotated.
Take advantage of the craze for more live videos online . . . people love the quickness and convenience of streaming services (e.g., Netflix) and live videos fit the “mold” perfectly.
Use automated tools in order to keep up with the overwhelming users of sites like Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter . . . there are simply too many channels being used almost simultaneously for too many different purposes.
Create “daily, weekly, monthly and annual “Social Media Usage Success Checklists” . . . these are categories of things you keep track off on a regular basis so you can regularly tabulate what is working and what isn’t.
Set time aside to regularly review the results of the previous recommendation; also, designate who’s going to conduct this research—too often organizations fail to properly process the data they spend so much time and money collecting.
Thirdly, take action based on the previous two steps. Analyzed data is often wasted, if not acted upon promptly, efficiently and conscientiously.
Don’t let your published content be “accidents” or “reactions”—instead, have a comprehensive plan that details how much you will publish each week, where, and how.
Be a leader, not a follower. Someone famous once said “You can either lead, follow or get out of the way.” The last two choices are unacceptable. Accordingly, do regular brainstorming sessions with the brightest people in your organization. Put the question to them “How can we be leaders from now on? We want specific strategies for which you will be suitably rewarded!” See what that does for your organization.
Be ready to take risks. Social networking sites are no different than any other avenue for success. You may have to take more risks than the other guys—if you want to achieve more than they achieve.
FINAL THOUGHTS…
Can you “win” the social media game? Let’s face it, most people are happy to just to be able to “play.”
You have to take that extra step and say “We’re going to be the trendsetters, the lodestars everyone else is following. We don’t just what to ‘play’—we’re here to win!”
The only question left is “Are you fully committed to following through on what you say?” Unfortunately, no one can answer that question but you . . .
