Social Media Strategy

In a prior post, I confessed that I think of social media as a tactic rather than as a strategy. Because I say such things publicly, some folks think of me as a social media curmudgeon.

So be it.

That being said, social media can consume an enormous amount of your time, energy and money. Of course you should have a social media strategy.

The question is, where to begin?

First thing, take a few breaths, and a few steps back. If you’re in the tweeting trenches without a clear idea of how you're going to funnel your missives, social media's array of features can swallow days of your time before you even know they're missing.

From a distance far enough to give you a strategic perspective, think about the things that make you different; think about the passion that drives your organization forward.

Now, think about what makes social media different: more than any other kind of outreach or advertising, it demands authenticity.

Put those together and you can visualize a social media strategy driven by your core values, not the available technology. You'll be more likely to hit your target, and much more likely to make a real connection when you do.

And that's practical marketing.

I'm a Social Media Curmudgeon!

I’ve been called to task by Max Chafkin of Inc. Magazine because I got a little snarky about his magazine’s praise for Twitter.

I’ve been dissed for preferring to meet my clients and prospects face to face instead of via technological hook-up.

And most recently, an SEO advocate emailed me wondering if I thought SEO wasn’t an important part of a comprehensive marketing strategy because I got a little snarky about SEO advocates in my newsletter.

I fought it.

“I’m no social media hater,” I told myself.

I’ve been building web sites for over 10 years. I’ve been blogging since 2005. I have accounts on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Plaxo, PingFM and goodness knows where else.

I couldn’t possibly be all that curmudgeonly. Right?

I was in denial.

The first step towards recovery is to admit you have a problem, right? So here’s my problem: I don’t see social media as a marketing strategy. I see it as a tactic.

Underlying all revenues are human relationships.

Social media advocates point out that social media is all about relationships; that it’s transforming their very nature and blurring the boundaries between entrepreneurs and their organizations.

True enough.

But when we focus on media and technology at the expense of authentic human connections, our relationships suffer.

And so do our revenues.

If putting human issues above the technology that’s driving them so fast and so hard makes me a curmudgeon, so be it.

And that’s practical marketing.

SEO: Just Sayin'

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a terrific way to get people to your web site. Many companies hire folks to write their web pages and blogs in order to bring home the high ranking Google bacon.

But if you're thinking of hiring someone with SEO writing skills, how can you tell if they'll bring that Google bacon home?

Not for nothing, but here's a screen shot from my computer this evening. Note that this blog is ranked 1, 2, 8 & 9 for my keywords (practical marketing).

• Rockin' the SEO
• SEO vs. Promotion
• Getting Practical with Social Media
• Do You Deliver on your Brand Promise?

Just sayin'.

And that's practical marketing.