The social Web is a pretty wide open space, which can make keeping your program on course a challenge. If you’re thinking of launching a social media program, there are a few fundamental questions you should always work into the planning stages. If considered early, these questions will help keep things on track and keep it measurable.
The big questions:
- Where are we now? Answers to this question will result in some baseline metrics and an assessment of your current online assets — all of which are critical when developing your next program.
- Where are we going? This question gets everyone thinking about the long-term goals without focusing on specific strategies or platforms. In the early stages, you need big picture thinking, not near-sighted tactics.
- How does this integrate with our other programs? The best social media programs operate as ecosystems — generating benefits across many departments. The more opportunities you can identify to integrate your efforts with other teams in the company, the more support you’ll have getting your initiative off the ground.
Suggestions? What early questions do you ask when building a social media strategy?
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[...] Andy’s Answers: What questions should I be asking before launching my social media program? Published: February 18, 2010 Source: SmartBlog On Social Media The social Web is a pretty wide open space, which can make keeping your program on course a challenge. If you’re thinking of launching a social media program, there are a few fundamental questions you sho… [...]
Great post!! Although you would think these would be common sense ideas – I've found in my business that not a lot of thought goes into pre-planning a social media campaign. I like to use the analogy that starting a social media campaign is like beginning a diet – you could lose weight but if you don't weigh yourself before you start you'll never really know exactly how much progress you made! Same with social media marketing – if you don't have a baseline you'll never have a solid measurement of how successful your program was.
I particularly like the comment about keeping everyone thinking about “long-term goals without focusing on specific strategies or platforms.” Too often organizations that get into social media planning immediately jump into the platforms and don't take the time to understand the best practices around being social.
To your last point about integration – I won't work on developing a social strategy for a business without getting their most integral departments in one room to discuss and get an elusive “head nod” from everyone before moving forward. Organizational integration is so incredibly important…just ask Comcast (customer service), Dell (sales) and Ford (branding) for starters.
AK Stout – I LOVE the diet analogy!
Thanks for starting this conversation Andy!