According to a recent 2012 Chiefmarketer.com survey highlighted by MarketingCharts.com, the majority of marketers utilized social media for customer engagement more than as a means of finding new audience(s). When marketers were asked to provide a snapshot of their social media marketing strategies, the following answers were the most prevalent:
- 84% of marketers cite the ability to reach consumers at multiple touch points as the most important strategy
- 62% of marketers believe engaging with consumers “where they spend time” on social networks is vital
- 56% of marketers cite the fact that consumers expect them to use social media and be accessible
- 53% of marketers use social media as a tool for one on one conversations
- 51% of marketers believe the viral speed of social media
8 Basic Social Media Strategies
Do these strategies make your top five social media strategies? If they do would you rank the strategies in the same hierarchy of importance as survey respondents? Here is a look at strategies that I find compelling:
- Listening: gathering consumer intelligence on social networks
- Crowdsourcing: asking your consumers to provide their feedback, both good and bad, as well as wants-needs
- Keyword-Search: uncovering conversations on social networks and generating sales leads
- Networking: creating relationships with consumers, industry professionals, and vendors
- Reputation Management: ensuring your brand is not being unfairly disparaged
- Distribution: channels to distribute links from your blog(s), website, newsletter, and other social networks
- Due Diligence: monitoring competitors, industry trends, and networking partners
- Branding: consistent, ongoing messages that build brand recognition with consumers
Dean Guadagni is Inner Architect’s chief communications strategist with 20+ years of business development, sales management, and national account management experience. Dean is the author of a nationally recognized self-help business guide whose articles have been published by Reuters.com, Nielsen.com, FoxBusiness.com, Ziff Davis Enterprise’s “Microsoft Watch”, Computer Shopper, and the Chicago Sun-Times. Prior to joining Inner Architect, Dean worked with management consulting firm Domus Consulting Group, whose mission was to help real estate brokerages and affiliates develop technology marketing strategies in real estate.
Dean is a frequent public speaker and workshop facilitator on social media strategies, blogging, and networking. He is a graduate of San Francisco State University with a BA degree in Speech Communications.
