Here’s the thing about social media

So, here’s the thing about social media. There is no smoke and mirrors. There is no magic fix. There is no credible way to build fans and followers without a decent strategy and a lot of hard work.

Social media might level the playing field between the Davids and Goliaths, smooth out the differences between vast and tiny budgets, make it easier for small biz to reach out to the same audience as their bigger rivals, but the rules are the same for all:

• Rule no 1
  Listen, think, ask.
• Rule no 2
  Listen, think, plan.
• Rule no 3
  Listen, ask, revise plan.
• Rule no 4
  Listen, ask, ask, listen, chat, share, chat, listen. Enjoy.

And repeat ad infinitum.

There are no short cuts to creating an engaging social campaign that enhances your brand, your values, increases your customer loyalty, creates brand ambassadors and boosts sales.

The process is the same as for any other type of business/communications/marketing strategy. You need to be clear on what you want to say (your brand message, your tone of voice, your differentiators, your conversations), to whom you want to say it (your audience, customers both existing and potential, the media, your competitors) and what you want them to do as a result of having heard what you said (your call to action, your engagement strategy).

And you need to know what means success for you in the social space; is it an increase in follower numbers, an increase in sales, a rise in brand loyalty, more conversations with new people, boosted profile and how to measure that.

It’s not simple. It’s not easy. It’s not free. But if you get it right, social media can be transformational for you and your business.