Inner Circle Media

Before you post one more thing on Facebook, Tweet on Twitter, or update your LinkedIn profile, ask yourself this – what’s my comprehensive marketing strategy? If you’re not sure why you’re on the web, how do you know if your efforts are successful? Just being there isn’t necessarily going to improve your business. In fact, without a strategy, your scatter shot approach and multiple online personalities could annoy, aggravate, or even scare away prospects, clients, press contacts, and potential business partners.

It seems people are in such a frenzy these days to jump on the online social media band wagon that they forget about marketing basics – who needs your product/service? And how will you reach those people?

Social media should be just a part of your overall marketing/communications plan. It should NOT replace your other efforts (advertising, press, media, website, etc.) Nor should the tools be used in standalone ways – i.e. you build a following on Twitter, but do nothing to reach out via email marketing, blogs, Facebook, etc.

As you create your strategy, consider your audience:

• Who are you trying to reach?
• What are they already doing online?
• Where are they finding out about you?
• Do they use online social networking tools?
• Are they talking about you online? What are they saying?
• What do you want your target audience to do – connect with you, repost your tweets, call you, email you, buy your stuff?

Now consider what tools and/or initiatives you already have in place. Which tactics do you use? Which ones work well for your audience? How could you make better use of these tools?

• Website
• Blogs (yours and others’)
• E-newsletter
• Personal vs. Professional Facebook page
• Personal vs Professional Twitter profile
• Other social media tools: LinkedIn, Plaxo, Flickr, MySpace, YouTube, Squidoo, Epinions, Digg, Delicious
• Offline initiatives: Marketing, ads, press, radio/TV

Once you’ve evaluated your current online marketing efforts and determined what works best for your target audience, then you should create a plan for how you’ll employ the tools listed below.

By the way, sometimes our clients wonder how all these tools work together. That’s when I like to use my outer space analogy.

Your website = Your home planet; Your #1 goal is to bring visitors to your home planet

Your blog = Moon station where visitors stop in before they visit your home planet

Other blogs = Other moons and planets you visit where you engage with people and encourage them to come visit your home planet

Social networking sites = Your outer space outposts

Your e-newsletter =Â The rocket ship you send out into the galaxy to remind people to visit your planet

OK, back to your plan. Determine how you’ll employ each of the following tools to your advantage:

1. Your Website: Your website is one of your most powerful marketing tools. Make sure it’s a breeze to navigate, it’s design makes you proud, and the content on the site changes OFTEN (i.e. daily or weekly). On your website, allow users to subscribe to Twitter, Facebook, RSS, your e-newsletter. Share articles, links, documents – be a resource.
2. Your Blog: Craft succinct, powerful, well written posts about your target audience’s most pressing needs, as well as industry insights. Make sure to share other people’s blog posts. Remember – Your blog posts, podcasts, videos, press coverage shows up in search engine results.
3. Other Blogs: Discover the blogging community related to your area of expertise. What blogs work best for you? What bloggers do you relate with? Begin commenting and building relationships. Offer advice, criticism, and praise.
4. E-newsletter: Offer timely, pertinent content. Write with your own voice. Link to your own site, other sites, yours and others’ blogs. Make people WANT to read your copy. Make people want to forward your e-newsletter to their friends.
5. Social Marketing Channels: Use the channels/tools that your target market uses – i.e. if they don’t use Twitter, then why bother. Choose 2-3 channels that you can easily manage. Remember – your social marketing channels (Twitter, Facebook page, LinkedIn page) show up in search engine results.

And don’t forget about all of your offline initiatives. Regardless of the marketing tool or tactic, make sure you have a unified message resonates with target audience.