In social media marketing, knowing the tools isn’t enough. We need to see the big picture and link everything together. That includes integrating offline marketing strategies into your social media marketing plan. Now, just imagine how a person who is totally new to using social media would feel. Lost, perhaps?
Unfortunately, that “lost” guy could very well be the person you’re pitching your social media marketing plan to.
You could go about explaining how each tool works and how it could help his business; but at the end of the day, it is essential to communicate the synergies between all the tools, and how they would interact with the company’s offline marketing efforts, while making sure that the message communicated across all platforms are consistent.
After speaking to several businesses and running a couple of social media campaigns, I find the map below helpful in crafting and explaining a plan.
It is pretty general. You should create one that caters to your client’s goal.
How does it work?
Content: Creating content helps the company engage the audience and build thought leadership. Content could be created via a blog or YouTube channel.
Comm: Platforms like Facebook and Twitter are communication tools to reach your audience. How should you use them? What sort of online personality suits your brand?
Online: Digital marketing doesn’t involve social media only. Search engine marketing, banner ads on relevant sites and search engine optimization are part of the family as well (learn more here). Should they be included? How do they fit in?
Offline: Don’t be a narrow minded marketer. Ask your client if there are any long term/existing offline marketing campaigns that are running. This helps you understand what messages are currently being communicated so you can also convey them online to create a bigger impact.
Engagement: Social media is the main channel that provides a two way communication. The key here is to engage and build relationships. Hard selling does not work anymore. Every relationship built is a small success – we want others to talk about the client’s brand more often.
Note: Remember that clients come from different industries and have different needs. Your plan and your pitch should be highly customized.
Conclusion
We are often so overly passionate about explaining how each tool works that we lose focus. Bear in mind that the person whom you’re pitching to aren’t that interested in what the tools are. They are interested in how they can be used to generate ROI.
In short, you’re a marketer and not a Twitter or Facebook sales person. Give them the big marketing plan instead.
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