Dynamic Support Solutions

Yes! You can be a savvy social media player in 2011. All it takes is a plan. If you take the time now to map out a strategy to guide you through the year, you will experience social media success.

You may belong to many social networks and you may get overwhelmed by the time it takes to nurture your presence in each network. The connections you make and the referrals you receive are valuable to your business. Are you investing too much time in social networks? Have you neglected your social networks? For most of us we bounce from one extreme to the other. There are times when we are spending more time in social networks than we care to admit. Then, there are times when we can’t remember the last time logged into a social network.

What role will social media play in your marketing plan for 2011? With a little bit of planning, you can achieve balance with your social media efforts. Social media has certainly taken on a life of its own. Sometimes we forget that it is a part of an overall marketing strategy. At this point it cannot be “the marketing plan.” View social media as a tool that supports your other marketing efforts.

How will you be a savvy social media player? Plan it out.

1.       Take a look at your social media efforts for 2010. List all the social networks you belong to. Which networks were you most active in? How many followers/fans/connections do you have in each network? Which network did you receive the most referrals from? Which network was most likely to purchase your coaching services and products?

2.       Fast forward and visualize this time in 2011. What will you have accomplished with your social media efforts? Will you have increased followers/fans/connections? By X number? By X%? Will you have reduced the number of networks you participate in? Will you have added niche networks?

3.       Map it out. So to move from where you are now to where you want to be at the end of 2011, create a social media map. If you are visual you can use a mind map, a spreadsheet a calendar or whatever you are comfortable using. If you would like to increase followers/fans/connections you may want to set a target number to reach by the end of each quarter. Then, you can write down which networks you only need to participate in once a month, then those that you want to participate in once a week, followed by those networks that will require participation more than once a week.

To be a savvy social media player in 2011 you need to participate with a purpose. Understand what your goal is for each network you belong to. Utilizing a written plan will help you stay focused. If the process of writing a plan has stalled you, I have created an action plan that you can use “out of the box.” It has the questions you need to plan out your marketing for 2011. It also has space for you to write your answers. Hopefully you will find this organized layout easier to accomplish writing out a plan.

Do you need an accountability partner? Need someone to bounce ideas around with you?
Contact me. I offer marketing brainstorming and coaching.