Implementing A Social Media Strategy for your Small Business

Social media is the newest and hottest form of marketing today.  Every time you turn on the TV or read an article on the Internet, it refers some how to this new phenomenon.  It has so many uses for small businesses from engaging with their customers  all the way to customers actually solving the problems of other customers.  Perhaps the greatest benefit of social media marketing for small business is the low cost.  Most social media networks are free.  The only cost that a small business has when participating is time.  Here are some steps that can help a small business get started into social media marketing.

Establish your Social Media Objectives

Don’t jump on the social media marketing gravy train just because it is the new buzzword.  You need a plan and just like any investment, you need to determine what you want to accomplish.  This is a critical step if you want to measure your Return on Investment (ROI) or develop your own internal metrics tracking.

Setting up your objectives can help to guide the timetable for implementation.  Well defined objectives can assist in prioritization and with creating the best way to implement your social media strategy.
During the objectives stage, you should also address content management issues.  It is usually a good idea to assign a specific employee or department to create and manage the company’s social media pages, you need someone to respond to messages and question quickly; usually within a time-frame of 24 hours.

Evaluate your Employees Social Media Knowledge

Before you start a social media campaign, you need to understand your employees’ level of knowledge and interest.  Social media marketing is a relatively new marketing platform.  There are rules and a proper etiquette to follow, make sure that your employees understand these procedures and that they are interested and motivated to take part in the various conversations.  If you employee any interns or a volunteer staff, you also need to look at their level social media savviness.  Training and more training can be an excellent  strategy to put everyone on the same page.

Listen to the Social Media Conversation Before you Start Talking

Ask questions on and offline to learn more.  Share best practices among employees and identify expert users to follow and recommend connections.  Focus on making connections with persons in target companies, industries and geographic regions.  Join groups and lists of industry groups to ensure that you maximize your exposure and business opportunities.

Conclusion

More and more companies are expected to engage in social media activities during 2010.  Proper planning and execution is the key to integrating a social media marketing strategy into your organization.
What are some other key factors in creating and integrating a social media strategy?  Be sure to post your ideas in the comments below.