How to create a strategic social media marketing plan

Ida-Maria Tigerstedt

Assignment Social media in marketing

18.11.2013

Abstract Date of presentation Degree programme Author or authors Ida-Maria Tigerstedt Group or year of entry Resto10 Title of report #o$ to create a strategic social media marketing plan Teacher/s or supervisor/s %o&anna #einonen-Salakka !"ffe10 Number of pages and appendices

Keywords

Table of contents
1 Introd"ction..................................................................................1 2 Si' steps of an effecti(e social media marketing plan.................2

ntroduction

)it&in t&is report t&e t&eor* and steps a+o"t &o$ to create a strategic Social Media marketing plan is presented. Most small-+"sinesses entreprene"rs "nderstand t&e importance of t&e social media as part of t&eir compre&ensi(e marketing strateg* and are f"ll* a$are of it +eing a (er* critical component. T&e* also kno$ it is an afforda+le comm"nication tool, t&e* -"st do not kno$ $&ere to start. ./penfor"m 20130 !* "sing t&e social media and social net$ork platforms s"c& as +logs, 1ace+ook, T$itter, M*Space, 1lickr and 2o"T"+e it is a fact t&at t&e compan* +rand is a+le to spread to t&e $&ole $orld. /ne m"st not forget t&at t&e +est res"lts are ac&ie(ed $&en se(eral platforms are "sed and cooperating $it& eac& ot&er. T&e "sage of t&e social net$orks strengt&ens t&e compan*3s presence online and dri(es traffic to t&e &omepages. T&e social media also makes it easier to point o"t t&e a"dience, since t&e* are all t&ere, and 4free5 personal information of c"stomers are -"st $it&in reac&. T&e social media is m"lti-faced and relies on t&e ot&er e-marketing tactics t&e compan* "ses and can t&erefore ne(er +e "sed alone and in isolation. To gain t&e f"ll ad(antage of t&e social media one need to "nderstand t&e demograp&ics and mind sets of t&ese c&annels. If not "nderstood properl* t&e social media ma* ca"se onl* +acklas&. .Re(ene$s 20110

! "i# steps of an effective social media marketing plan

T&e internet is o(erloaded $it& different opinions and (ie$s on t&is s"+-ect and t&e cr"cial steps of an effecti(e social media marketing plan is alleged to +e e(er*t&ing +et$een fi(e and fifteen. #o$e(er t&is report presents si' main steps to s"ccessf"l social media marketing. !$1 dentifying the audience T&e first and pro+a+l* most (ital step $&en creating a strategic plan for social media marketing is to kno$ t&e a"dience of t&e compan*. )&o is t&e ideal c"stomer and $&o is t&e compan* tr*ing to reac&6 1or e'ample t&e primar* a"dience of 1ace+ook are $omen +et$een t&e ages of eig&teen and t$ent*-nine $&ile t&e "sers on 7inkedIn are primaril* grad"ate-le(el ed"cated males. Armed $it& t&is information t&e compan* can matc& "p t&e marketing efforts $it& t&e social net$orks preferred +* t&e target a"dience. ./penfor"m 20130 !$! %ompetitive analysis Step t$o is a+o"t t&e competiti(e anal*sis of t&e compan* and is a ke* component of an* marketing strateg* reall*. )&en tr*ing to find o"t t&e compan*3s position in t&e social sp&ere8 not onl* t&e competitor3s strengt&s s&all +e o+ser(ed +"t also t&e $eaknesses. Starting $it& performing a competiti(e deep-di(e and generating disc"ssions $ill enlig&ten t&e entreprene"r a+o"t t&e compan*3s sit"ation. ./penfor"m 20130

!$& %ore topics and creating value Step t&ree is a+o"t identif*ing core topics and creating (al"e $it&o"t o(er-selling and +arging. A strategic social media plan re9"ires more effort t&an -"st a fe$ stat"s "pdates. 1or e'ample offering disco"nts and pro(iding in(iting information a+o"t t&e compan*3s prod"cts and ser(ices in +ot& a creati(e and effecti(e $a* is t&e $a* to do it. ./penfor"m 20130 !$' Tone and fre(uency T&e fort& step is a+o"t identif*ing t&e tone and fre9"enc* of t&e compan*3s social media "se. T&e social media a"dience is a (er* pick* a"dience. T&e* "s"all* do not appreciate &ig& sales pitc&es +"t still like to +e engaged some&o$, t&o"g& $it&o"t +eing o(ersat"rated. 1inding t&is fine +alance is essential $&en stri(ing after s"ccess. :"estions like8 $&at topics, &o$ fre9"entl* t&e compan* s&o"ld post and to $&at net$orks, are cr"cial and +eing fle'i+le eno"g& to steadil* adapt to t&e feed+ack recei(ed is ine(ita+le. If for e'ample ten posts a da* leads to a drop of follo$ers, tone do$n of t&e fre9"enc* s&o"ld +e e'perimented and ne$ res"lts meas"red. ./penfor"m 20130

!$) *ngagement T&e fift& step is a+o"t engaging t&e compan*3s a"dience. T&is is t&e factor t&at t&e $&ole social media concept is +"ilt aro"nd. If someone for e'ample asks a 9"estion t&is poster is e'pected also to stick aro"nd, participate, recei(e and respond. 1"rt&ermore t&e social media is not onl* a p"+lis&ing platform, it re9"ires contin"o"s effort and inp"t of t&e compan*3s marketing manager. ./penfor"m 20130

!$+ ,bsessed with analytics T&e si't& and last step is a+o"t +eing o+sesses o(er t&e anal*tics. )it&o"t follo$ing, meas"ring and anal*;ing one &a(e no cl"e a+o"t $&ic& direction t&e compan* is &eading. Most social media platforms toda* &a(e +"ilt-in anal*tics and marketers are a+le to track t&e +iggest impact making "pdates and posts and identif*ing t&ese +* t&e n"m+er of recei(ers reac&ed. 1"rt&ermore meas"ring t&e compan* $e+site3s traffic and leads is t&e ke* to meas"re t&e social media s"ccess. If t&e strateg* is effecti(e t&ere $ill +e an apparent increase in +ot& t&e traffic and t&e leads from t&e social net$orks. ./penfor"m 20130

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!i+liograp&* /penfor"m. 2013. Social media marketing plan= > steps to creating a strateg*. ?R7= &ttps=@@$$$.openfor"m.com@articles@social-media-marketingplan->-steps-to-creating-a-strateg*@. Accesses 8.11.2013 Re(ene$s. 2011. T&e 10 internet marketing c&annels cr"cial to *o"r s"ccess in 2011. ?R7= &ttp=@@$$$.re(ene$s.com@searc&engine-marketing@t&e-10-internet-marketing-c&annels-cr"cial-to*o"r-s"ccess-in-2011@. Accessed 8.11.2013