How Fast is Your Social Strategy?

How Fast is Your Social Strategy?

How Fast is Your Social Strategy?

Your business is using social media, but you aren’t getting the results you want. How do you change your strategy to get your desired results?

I had a chance to hear Amber MacArthur speak at this year’s Ohio Growth Summit. She shared several key ideas in her keynote presentation that can help you revitalize your marketing and social media strategies.

I thought I might share several keepers that I picked up during her presentation, Relentless Adaption. She reminded us how far we have come and how far we will continue to grow.  She shared that 21% of iPad users use their tablet for business. Over 1.2 billion people access the internet from their mobile phones. So how do we develop a strategy that can keep us in front of our best clients?  In 2010, there were three keys to successful social media:

  • Authenticity
  • Bravery
  • Consistency

For many of us marketers, this is how we are still running our social strategies today. She believed that in 2013, it requires different skills to be successful.  Her first new skill is adapt quickly. Amber shared how quickly things are changing and top of mind awareness goes to the people and organizations that are willing to adapt more quickly.  My favorite quote from Amber’s presentation was “innovation is dead, long live adaption.”

What does this mean to you as a marketer?  I believe it means that we don’t get points for showing up and just doing a good job every day. We must leverage what we’ve done while looking for new ways to connect to our audience. She also said to look for different places to connect with your audience. Look for a place where your brand can stand out.  Sounds simple, doesn’t it?

How quickly you adapt is only the first step in standing out from the crowd. You must find opportunities to increase your engagement. Her second rule for social success today is be responsive. How quickly can your team respond to any given situation? When great opportunities present themselves, are you going to be able to move quickly enough? She shared the example of how Oreo Cookies shifted their strategy into high gear when the power went out at the Super Bowl, generating 10,000 tweets in the first hour after Super Bowl Darkness.  How responsive is your marketing team when your market changes?  Amber issued a word of warning that we must be responsive, but we must not be tone deaf. When brands show a lack of understanding or compassion, they may also feel the fallout of promoting in a way that their communities feel inappropriate.

Amber shared several key steps to insure social supports your business development, as well as marketing strategy.  These key ideas could provide you an edge in your market.  The most important things that she shared were not expensive to implement, but require you to think differently about your business.  For many people reading this, these ideas can provide a solid foundation to build a great business both online and off.

Here are my five favorite ideas for social strategies small and mid-market businesses. The list includes:

  • Protect your online reputation
  • Showcase your personality
  • Think before you tweet
  • Leverage visual social media
  • Build a community

Do you want to know more about Amber MacArthur?  You can find more great information at http://www.ambermac.com .  You can also pick up her book, Power Friending, at Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble near you.  I found it to be a great read with lots of helpful tips and ideas to implement immediately.

Are you interested in learning more about these different ways of aligning your marketing and social strategies with your business goals?  Next week, we continue sharing how to create greater value and connection with your best clients and potential customers..

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