Strategic Planning for Social Media

I recently attended a meeting on strategic planning for social media. Instead of a session on the intricacies of Facebook and Twitter, it turned out to be a back-to-basics on how to write a strategic plan.

Now, that might seem like an oxymoron. After all, aren’t social media supposed to be organic in nature? Don’t you destroy the conversation when you introduce an official point of view? Well, as in all things, the answer is yes and no.

So, how can you plan for social media when they are supposedly uncontrollable? How can you influence the conversation and still keep it real? I will take up these questions in a series of 10 articles over the next few months. I plan to look at questions including:

1. Why and when should a business engage in social media?
2. How do you plan your social media?
3. What should your role be as a public relations professional in your client’s social media efforts (or conversely, what should you expect of your public relations professional?
4. Which social media should you use and how should you use them?
5. What are some do’s and don’ts in using social media?
6. Are social media really grassroots communications, or should you take an active role in managing them?
7. Are social media a unique form of communication or just a communications channel?
8. How and why should you respond to positive or negative comments on your social media?
9. How do you measure success in your social media programs?
10. How long will it take for this stuff to help your business?

While I plan to write these articles from a communications point of view, my intention is that these articles will make perfect sense to the business owner who wants to incorporate social media into their marketing. I welcome your comments, so please comment early and often, so that your voice can be heard.