We get approached frequently by businesses and individuals who would like to include social media in their marketing mix.

Our conversations eventually lead them to understand that one of the main things they will need to do is create remarkable value in relevant communities, engage effectively with their target audience, aim to become a trustworthy authority in those communities and build rewarding, value-oriented relationships with their community members.

They also come to understand the importance of measuring their Social Media Return on Investment (ROI) and how it could be done.

Their next expectation/question almost always is getting us to do most (if not ALL) of the work.

They ask us to manage their Twitter and Facebook accounts and send updates for them – as them. They want us to participate in their discussion forums and write as them. Basically, they want us to create all of their content.

This effectively removes the “social” from their end and they are left with little to no understanding of what is fundamentally shifting here. We’re not talking about new technology – we’re talking about a fundamental shift in the way in which we interact with our customers and how we present ourselves as a brand.

They want the benefits of Social Media Marketing while taking a completely “hands-off” approach.

Here we’d like to state reasons why we choose not to do it, and why we advise you not to go down this route if you’re really serious about generating a likeable, trustworthy brand with social media.

1. We know nothing. There – we said it!

I think we can deduct that we are’nt in the same business as you because we’re just not as passionate/knowledgeable about it as you are. Try as we might, we’ll likely end up saying the wrong things and doling out bad advice to your prospects.

2. We are not you

We may not share the same values as those of your organization.

We may not have the experience, insight or wisdom required to come up with truly market-leading content for your online publications.

It may take us years and years of trial and error before we understand your market’s needs as deeply as required to engage with them effectively and gain their trust.

3. It’s not sustainable

Even though it is possible for you to outsource your community management and social interaction, what would happen if your provider decide to pull out of the project? What if they disappeared and left you with a bunch of accounts and lifestreams that you had no idea how to manage properly and those elements were intimately incorporated with your online communications plan?

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Here’s what we propose instead:

Step 1. Sort out your business first

Before you start promoting your business, get clear first on who and what you are, and who specifically are the people you’d like to serve, and how exactly are you going to create immense value in the market place enough to gain your desired market share.

• Niche Market – whose needs are you meeting? Be very specific who they are and how they can be reached
• Your Company Values, Company Culture
• How You Lead Your Team
• Competition Research
• Brand Development
• Offers – what really is it that you are offering?
• Sales Funnel
• Lead Nurturing System – how exactly will you take prospects from complete strangers to loyal raving fans?
• Your Business Goals – short term, medium term and long term. What specific outcomes do you want, and by when?

Step 2. Find out how Social Media works and how your business can include it in your marketing mix

Get sound advice about your marketing and communications planning. We can help you with this. Our initial conversations will center around getting to know your business, your target market, your competitors, your current customer base and industry trends, and then presenting you with some helpful options to take your business forward.

Step 3. Create a sustainable marketing plan

This is where we really shine

Once we’re done with Step 2, together we will create a systematized action plan that you and your team can implement. We’ll measure the results regularly and compare them against our goals – adjusting accordingly as we go along.

Conclusion

You hold the key to massive engagement with your customers. What we do is help you determine which vehicles are the right ones for you to use and how to use these tools effectively to create a sustainable lead generating, brand-building, and optimally leveraged marketing system.

There are shortcuts, yes, but be careful which ones you take.

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If you’d like to book a free no obligation 30-minute consultation with us about how your business could implement internet marketing strategies, just Contact Us so we can get back to you as soon as possible.

Finally, remember to download our Digital Marketing Strategies e-book to get free tips on how to use online marketing strategies to get more leads, more sales and more customers.

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2. Marketing with Social Media – What Michael Jackson, Iran & Domino’s Pizza Have in Common
3. 6 Ways to Increase Social Media Productivity
4. How to Use SavorChat to Boost Your Social Media Branding & Productivity
5. Using Social Media to Market Your Business