Follow these guidelines when developing a social media strategy for your business:
Make sure to know your entire audience. Yes, you have your customers; however, another key audience segment is prospective employees. Do your research and understand which social media platforms will be most effective for reaching all of your target audiences.
Choose your platforms…wisely. You don’t have to be on every network (yet). But, at the very least, you’ll probably want some presence on Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin. Once those are established, you can expand to industry specific communities.
Start building your network. Don’t worry about the size — focus on quality. If your demographic is potential employees, the real value comes in developing connections with people who will become your next hire.
Start talking. Your conversations can’t be only one way. The great thing about social media is the opportunity to create a true dialogue. Respond to comments, pose different questions, thank people for compliments and address negative comments. In general, show people you are listening and that you truly care about what people are saying.
Measure your results. It is absolutely mandatory that social media strategies are tied to business objectives whether you are trying to generate leads, increase sales or improve the talent pool of potential employees.
