subject: Building Your Social Media Strategy [print this page] Building Your Social Media Strategy Building Your Social Media Strategy
The basic concept of using a social media strategy for a brand is to create a positive, consistent image for the brand you are trying to promote. The whole idea of social media is so consumers can communicate with companies one on one. The way to use social media effectively is by keeping the message you are trying to convey consistent. A brand must set up all of their pages and social media sites the same so consumers can get the same information from each site. Social media can be used as a great tool to communicate with consumers on a very personal level. Another advantage is that consumers can view other consumers' comments and concerns. This can be used well if the comment it positive or negative. If it's a positive remark, it can been seen as buzz for the brand. If it is negative, the company can act quickly and responsibly to show consumers that if there is a problem, it will be fixed as soon as possible.
Brands need to think about appropriateness of posts and comments personally and professionally. There should be a good balance of all social media sites for a brand on each level. There is a certain formula that can be created for each company that will work the best for their strategy. For example, they may want to have a Twitter page that they post something on every day, a Facebook page that they only update once a week and a blog that they check up on to make sure that customers are satisfied. But, it can be different for each brand. A company must set guidelines for their employees to create a successful social media strategy.
Employees must understand the consequences of posting something inappropriate or not consistent with the company's image. Kodak has a well thought out social media strategy that they give out to employees and is also available for consumers to view. It is convenient because it describes what each site entails and how it should be used. For people that don't understand social media yet, this can be very helpful. It also has some facts for users so they can see how many people use the sites and why they are popular.
