Every communications strategy is started with the question, “How will communications help my organisation achieve its objectives?” A social media strategy is no different. For a business it could be a way to attract new customers and a cheap help desk. For a lobbyist it could be a personal channel to build trust with clients and connections. For an NGO it could be a channel to lobby politicians and campaign for funding.
Therefore you should begin by asking yourself two questions:
What added value will social media bring to my organisation?
Is there a more appropriate or effective way to achieve this added value?
WHAT’S MY PROBLEM?
A problem statement can be very helpful for this. A problem statement is a clear and concise description of the issues and needs of your organisation. It can be easier to write if you start by describing your “ideal world” and work your way back, identifying what stands between your organisation and that world.
Once the problem is identified, you then assess the costs associated with its existence (“we lose X amount per annum due to international clients not knowing about our services”) and propose your solution, including why it is the best solution for this problem by comparing it with alternatives (“we can target translated messages to clients in key locations via Facebook, which is cheaper than setting up an ad campaign in several cities and less labour intensive than cold calling”).
People and organisations can be tempted to start a social media account for any number of reasons: it’s cheap, they see it as a panacea to connecting with a particular audience (“young people are on social media!” - age brackets are not monoliths) or just because their competitors are doing it. The reason that you put together a comprehensive strategy that includes approaches to community, content, organisation, monitoring and planning is so every decision you make will help feed into that end goal. This process will also help you decide whether you should be there in the first place.
WHAT PROBLEMS CAN SOCIAL MEDIA SOLVE?
One thing you want to avoid is using social media where another channel would be more appropriate. To avoid this you must have a thorough understanding of what social media is capable of doing for your organisation (and what it is not). Below I give a few suggestions for what kinds of problem the channel might be good for, but indeed don’t limit yourself to them - instead reflect on the possibilities and compare them to your problem.
The first and most important thing you must appreciate is that social media is a two-way communication. Interacting in two-way communication on social media is measured as a metric called engagement. Another big way of measuring your impact is by looking at your reach - this is your potential audience size.
Due to the algorithms at work on most social channels, engagement drives reach, as someone who engages with you is more likely to have your content delivered to them again. Not only that, but it also means that others are more likely to see the content. If you are not planning to engage in two-way conversation, then it is not the channel for you.
Note below the link between engagement and reach. As engagement moved up by 3000, 20000 more people saw this page’s posts.
SOCIAL MEDIA CAN SOLVE…
…problems that require interaction
So this is the first category of problem that can be solved through social media - problems that involve interactions. This can be both answering queries but also listening, gathering feedback and crowd-sourcing ideas and information.
…problems that require speed
Whether it’s getting out with a message first or responding to a rapidly developing situation, having a developed social media channel is useful for getting ahead of the curve.
…problems requiring mobilisation
Steph Gray pointed out in a previous edition that there’s a role for social in problems of mobilisation. Situations where you need an audience to take action - vote, protest, attend, give, boycott, change behaviour - it can be a channel to create a clear call to action, convince and cajole to reduce inertia.
…problems of locating niche interests
Another problem that social media is good for solving is locating unique and niche groups. Sourcing followers from already formed communities to whom you or your organisation may be of interest is a great way of reaching out to new people.
…problems that require multimedia communication
Social media is good for telling stories that lend themselves to multimedia. Videos, photos, text, GIFs, graphics, audio, quizzes and much more are shareable content on social media - you should be communicating content that takes advantage of the medium.
…problems of budget
It’s cheap - this is not a reason to go on social media in itself, but it can be a strong motivator for an organisation. Instead of lengthy and expensive consultations, a Facebook Live Q&A can engage your audience and answer their questions. A limited amount of money, targeted well, can fill your event with the right people who you would have trouble reaching otherwise.
…problems of being more visible
The fact of the matter is that the more places you are, the easier it is to find you. These days more than half of people receive their news through social media. A quality and strategic social media presence is key to visibility - you wouldn’t expect any less of your press or events, would you?
WHAT ELSE?
They are just a few problems social media can solve - let me know if there are any others you can think of!
An excellent post, Tom! Well done!!!