Expert Feature: Freshen Up Your Social Media Strategy And Management For The New Year

Do you regularly review your social media strategy?
Or is that strategy document sitting in the bottom of a filing cabinet collecting dust?

What about the social data for your social media program?
Do you analyze the data regularly?

Most of us feel “lucky” enough to post new content and respond to inquiries.

The “luxury” of actually using a social media strategy isn’t always considered to be something that’s important to the small business owner.

However, that strategy and your social media activities were costly to build and if you’re not managing them properly, could be costing your business big dollars in the way of lost opportunity.

To kick start your New Year, do the following review of your social media program:

1. Review your written strategy to make sure you’re still on track. If your focus strayed, then it’s time to either:
   • Refocus and get back on track, or
   • Review and revise the strategy. Perhaps your business has changed to focus on different customers, services or products. The strategy should match.This exercise always helps keep any program on track. A strategy is meant to be a living document, and reviews and/or revisions only improve the program.
     
2. Do a deep dive into the analytics for your social media program. How many clicks through to your website were received? How many contact forms were submitted? What was the conversion rate on those forms? What types of posts are the most engaging? Which links were clicked most often? Adjust. Make conversion goals for 2014.
3. Bring your team together (writers, editors, consultants, managers, employees – anyone assisting with your social media program) to discuss the status. Allow people to offer ideas and suggestions for improvements. We use a “Start, Stop, Continue” exercise to document the practices that people think should be incorporated, no longer practiced and continued in a program.
4. Recommit to weekly meetings to discuss your business with the people who run the social media program – consultants or employees – this meeting is critical. Schedule 30 minutes; some weeks will be shorter and some longer, but this regular meeting will help you stay focused and plan ahead. Other people to bring to this party include the people who run your pay-per-click campaign, public relations and other marketing efforts.

By revisiting your social media strategy and management activities for the New Year, improvements in lead generation, conversion and targeting are made.

What’s your plan for refreshing your social media strategy and program for 2014?