Congratulations, You’re on Facebook. So What?

There was a time not long ago when the term “social media strategy” amounted to setting up a Facebook account and enthusiastically asking customers to “Like” your product.

In the immortal words of former NFLer and ESPN football analyst Keyshawn Johnson, “C’mon, MAN!”

I know a three-year-old Malti-Poo named Lucky with his own Facebook page (I’m not even kidding). In today’s ever-expanding media marketplace, the old set-and-forget approach is quite literally for the dogs. If your business or association wants to play in the social sandbox it had better be willing to learn some new tricks. 

Simply being on Twitter or Facebook or even Pinterest won’t do. Social media, in any form, is but a single layer in a larger plan to keep content fresh, engage customers and readers alike, and grow your brand.

Research indicates that most institutions understand this concept, but struggle with one question: How? The challenge is particularly acute at small businesses and nonprofits, at such places where cash flow and resources are scarce commodities.

In a recent survey of nonprofit organizations conducted by business management provider Sage Networks, 84 percent of respondents participated in some form of social media. What’s more, 75 percent considered social media important to their overall missions. But just 46 percent said they were at least somewhat satisfied with their current level of social media success.

“Undoubtedly, social media has transformed how nonprofits communicate and engage with their constituents and supporters,” said Krista Endsley, senior vice president and general manager for Nonprofit Solutions at Sage in a release about the survey. “No matter an organization’s mission, establishing a social media presence online is critical to both expanding awareness and reach and engaging constituents.”

In reality, establishing a social media presence is just the first step. Being out there is important, but staying relevant and connected is what really matters. And it’s not easy. You have to understand your readers. Who are they? What types of social media do they use? When are they online? How do they interact? The list of questions is endless. And every audience is different.

So what to do?

You could hire someone. In the six-month period from January 2011 to June 2011, Internet staffing firm Onward Search reports that the number of jobs with social media in the title increased by more than 45 percent. Nordstrom has a director of social media. So do Sears and Panasonic. And NBC News. The Associated Press recently elevated a producer within its Nerve Center to oversee its social media efforts. Still other companies are farming these jobs out to public relations experts and content marketing partners.

Whatever the approach, you’ve got to have a person or people who you can rely on to continually feed readers’ social appetites. Firing off timely, well-executed tweets and Facebook posts is a big part of that, sure. But so is growing your readership base, making content easier to find online through search engine optimization, performing necessary maintenance and upkeep on your website, and, more important, evaluating progress to demonstrate a return on investment (ROI), which can’t necessarily be measured in dollars and cents.

To understand more about what makes for a strong social strategy, I reached out to Daniel Ford, a frequent contributor to this blog and web editor for JCK magazine.

Me: At JCK, you use all sorts of social media. When it comes to strategy, what’s one piece of advice you wish someone had given you starting out?

Ford: Don’t get overwhelmed with all the social media channels out there. Go with the one that you are the most comfortable with, and put the majority of your efforts into making your brand stand out on that channel. As you get more comfortable, branch out into other avenues one by one. Also, social media is meant to be fun and get people engaged in your brand, so make sure that you’re enjoying the process instead of looking at it like drudgery.

Me: Have you made any mistakes along the way?

Ford: If you’re not making mistakes, you’re doing something wrong. You learn a lot more by failing at something than you do by getting it right every time. All you can do is work to minimize mistakes so they don’t hurt your overall brand.

Me: What social media tactics tend to yield the best results?

Ford: The best way to get results is to be as honest, human, and open as possible. All the best things about your brand should come through in every tweet, Facebook post, or Google +1. When you’re just starting out, directly @ Twitter followers or comment on Facebook friends to jumpstart a buzz about your brand. Everything you do should be a building block for future social media strategies that keep your brand at the top of people’s minds.

Me: When talking about social media, it’s often hard to demonstrate a monetary ROI. How do you know when you’ve succeeded?

Ford: I’m a firm believer that the more engaged your following is, the better chance you have at seeing more of a monetary ROI. It may not happen in high perceptible ways at first, but the faster your social media snowball rolls, the more likely it is to improve your business. Plus, an idea from discussions or comments online may help to strengthen your business plan. People who start believing in your brand will start to have a stake in making it as powerful as possible, so keep your social media ears open.

[Image: Richard Moross]