{"id":814,"date":"2010-07-28T13:14:44","date_gmt":"2010-07-28T03:14:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.razchorev.com\/?p=814"},"modified":"2010-07-28T13:14:44","modified_gmt":"2010-07-28T03:14:44","slug":"creating-a-social-media-strategy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.razchorev.com\/newme\/creating-a-social-media-strategy\/","title":{"rendered":"Creating a Social Media Strategy"},"content":{"rendered":"
Last night I attended a social media panel, With\u00a0Jack Matthews, CEO, Fairfax Digital; Cliff Rosenberg, MD, LinkedIn Australia; and David Whittle, CEO, Mark, organized by the Australian – Israel Chamber of Commerce, and hosted by PriceWaterhouseCoopers. During the panel discussion, Mr. Matthews said –<\/address>\n
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If you don’t have a social media policy for your company, you’re making a big mistake!<\/address>\n<\/blockquote>\n
I totally agree with Mr. Matthews, and would like to add, that a social media policy should be introduced, in conjunction with a social media strategy. The policy is great for employees of the company, but the social media strategy should be created and implemented at the highest level of the organization.<\/address>\n
Nick Shin<\/span><\/a> has published his\u00a07 Steps For a Successful Social Media Strategy a few days ago, which I’ve used a few tips, and added some clarifications here: <\/address>\n

…According to the 2010 Social Media Marketing Report<\/a>, 67% of marketers plan to increase their use of social media channels including blogs, Twitter, and Facebook.<\/p>\n

As more companies integrate social media into their marketing and communications plans, emphasis needs to be on creating a social media strategy.<\/p>\n

So how exactly do you develop this strategy?<\/p>\n

The Prerequisite<\/h2>\n

Before you develop your strategy, make sure your upper-management team believes in social media and that the first goal is not to sell, sell, sell.\u00a0 In other words, if your business is jumping into social media because \u201ceveryone else is doing it\u201d or because you want to sell product rather than to build relationships, please step away from social media.\u00a0 Social media is a long-term commitment and not a marketing gimmick.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s important for the organization to understand that testing and experimentation are keys to success.\u00a0 This comes naturally to an organization whose culture embraces being proactive and open<\/strong>.\u00a0 The reason why all businesses need to have a social media strategy is because it prevents any misunderstandings and emphasizes why social media is relevant to your business\u2019 overall goals.<\/p>\n

Here are some key points to consider\u2026<\/p>\n

#1: Determine Your Goals and Objectives<\/h2>\n

Determine who owns social media<\/strong>.\u00a0 Whether it’s marketing, PR, or communications is irrelevant.\u00a0 In a perfect social media world for businesses, social media instills a collaborative approach and breaks down silos.\u00a0What\u2019s important is to understand your social media goals and objectives and how they tie into your overall company goals.<\/p>\n

Keep it Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic\/Relevant, and Timely (aka be SMART!).<\/p>\n

#2: Research, Research, and Research Some More<\/h2>\n

Rather than jumping into social media, prepare yourself so you know what to expect.<\/p>\n