The Social Media Marketer

Social Media Strategy - Just Put Yourself Out There

Tweet

 

It's easy to talk the talk, but at the end of the day, does anyone really know who you are?

This isn't a question for philosophers, but one that anyone devising a social media strategy plan needs to consider. Social media is the buzzword with most marketing planners these days, but if you don't use at least one of the hundreds of sites that are available, you and your company are missing probably the biggest trend in marketing that has come along in years.

The best part about it? You can get your buzz out there for absolutely nothing.

Of course, the social media site owners are all too happy to sell you paid advertising links as well. After all, that's how they make their money. However, the best sites know that the way to keep people coming back is to keep the chatter going.

And that's where you come in. You need to know how to provide the chatter.

The best development of social media strategy I've seen in recent days is with the NASA Kennedy Space Center, which I follow religiously on my Facebook page.  Everybody knows what NASA is, right?

It would be very easy for NASA to sit on its laurels and never market itself again. However, the Kennedy Space Center has come up with another great way to get out the word - on Facebook.  This past week, I, along with thousands of other Facebook followers of NASA, was thrilled with minute by minute posts about the status of the Discovery lift off.

We saw beautiful photos that were posted of the progress of the mission, from the ship itself to the goosebump-producing portrait of the orange-clad astronauts walking to the shuttle.  Unfortunately, we also saw radar images of the horrific lightning storm that was edging closer and closer to the launch site, and we knew the minute the mission was postponed.

And everyone who had "friended" NASA was sending best wishes, chatting, talking, and becoming a part of the mission.

How much did all this buzz cost NASA? Well, except for the salaries they pay their marketing department - nothing.  It doesn't take a rocket scientist to come up with a social media strategy plan that works as well as NASA's does on Facebook. It just takes time and creativity and a flair for the slightly dramatic.

And to do that, you've got to put yourself out there. Do you want others to notice you? Try these tips when you're developing your social media strategy:

• Know your market. If you sell craft supplies, go where the users are. Blogcatalog.com will lead you to blogs on just about any given topic - and many blogs have message boards. Don't spam them, but give people information they can use.

• Use pictures. NASA's missions are always exciting, but looking at the behind-the-scenes photographs brought that mission to life - and made its "friends" genuinely mourn it when it was cancelled.

• Bring your readers into the loop. If you use Twitter, keep your tweets up to date and make your followers believe they're getting inside information. Everybody loves that!

• Respect your followers. They'll spread the word, trust me.

After all, you're not trying to launch the space shuttle, but you are trying to launch your company's image. Put it out there, build up the buzz, and you'll be pleasantly surprised at the response.