Recap: Marketing Strategies - Leveraging Social Media

The topic of the January 9, 2019 MCCC Business EXCELerator was “Marketing Strategies: Leveraging Social Media.” The meeting was moderated by Suzanne Rotbert, Principal, Miles & Stockbridge, P.C. and Vice Chair of the MCCC Small Business Committee. The presentation was made by Nancie McDonnell Ruder, Founding Partner of Noetic Consultants.
 
The presentation focused on the “art and science” of social media marketing. There are two types of social media: organic and paid. Organic does not mean free; there is a cost to create and manage the channels as well as the time associated efforts.
 
For strategic planning, it is recommended to follow these steps:

1. Identify the audience. Create a prototype of the ideal person you want to reach
2. Establish a SMART objective i.e. specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, timed
3. Ensure your content meets the CRAVe criteria: consistent, relevant, authentic, valued
4. Determine channels. The 5 leading channels are Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn. LinkedIn is the only service exclusively intended for business.
5. Analyze results. Many of the platforms offer this service. Create a dashboard to keep track of results.
6. Listen. Observe what others are doing, where results are achieved to gain insights on how to build success over social media channels.

 
Social media marketing is dynamic medium and the plan you develop should be dynamic as well. Brainstorm ideas and test the market to see what works best.