In this review, I summarize and reflect on the workshop „Social Media Strategies for Entrepreneurs" at the Crews Center for Entrepreneurship on March 25, 2014. It was given by Darrin Devault, journalism instructor at the University of Memphis.
With the internet and social media, it never has been easier to call attention to your business. In times of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, Tumblr, Linkedin, and so on, there is a multitude of possibilities to reach a large audience, or rather to reach your specific audience. Using these digital platforms enables you to get in touch and interact with your customers easily, to build your own network, and to communicate with your stakeholders continuously.
Nevertheless, social media news feeds are more and more overfilled, their users often saturated with information. If you want to fully utilize the benefits of social media, you have to know how these platforms work and how people use them. Professional communication with your customers requires strategic action plans hence.
Social media communication: equal participants
„You don't really control the conversation when it comes to social media, you want to participate", says journalism instructor Darrin Devault during his „Social Media Strategies for Entrepreneurs" workshop at the University of Memphis. From my point of view, he thereby illustrates one of the most significant aspects when considering these communication platforms: Before you begin communicating your startup business, you have to be clear on the fact that you will bow to the principles of Twitter, Facebook and others. You will meet your audience on the same level as you. There is nobody who dominates or navigates the communication, there are only equal participants in the social media sphere.
After having understood your role in social media, you should think about how the communication of your business shall look like. There are many aspects to consider when developing a social media strategy. A properly planned approach will help you to benefit from your efforts there. Devault suggests a strategy consisting of four parts: Identification, information, integration, engagement. Even if this sounds theoretical at first glance, it is worth considering it.
1. Who is my audience?
As an entrepreneur starting communication in social media, you need to know whom you talk to. So the first thing to consider is identifying your audience. How old are these people? Where do they live? What is their lifestyle? What hobbies and interests do they have? „Depending on that, you use social media channels very different", says Devault. Listen on their conversations, find out what they are saying, and then think about how you contact your audience.
2. What do I want to say?
Having identified the audience, the next step in your social media strategy as an entrepreneur is about the content you want to create and share. When it comes to that, Devault recommends the following approach: „Think visually." It increases the chance of your information being shared on social media platforms. „I encourage you to create infographics", says Devault. „They are easy to understand, and easy to share." However your content looks like, if people share it, you have done a good job. „If they share the content you create, it is a very strong marketing tool", says Devault.
3. What channels are appropriate?
Integrate well into the social networks. You should think carefully about the different communication channels in social media. „Different channel, different message", says Devault.
And once again, keep in mind your audience's habits. „We are a 24/7 world, we don't turn off anything anymore", says Devault. So if you have information, don't wait, just share it. But nevertheless, know when the majority of your audience is online. Find an appropriate time for publishing particular information. „When you have great content, you wouldn't share it in the middle of the night", says Devault.
4. How do I engage people?
As I mentioned before, social media is about participation and interaction. So the fourth step to succeed in communicating your business is to engage your audience. As this is the core of social media, you can easily inspire people to participate in your communication and make them spread your content. Of course, your content must be relevant and interesting, if you want your audience share it. People should understand it easily, so you should use short sentences and concise formulations when sharing information.
It is worth having a look at so-called brand ambassadors, in other words at people who are your biggest fans, and who influence numerous other users in the social media. If a person shares and/or comments on your business, and this content again is shared and/or commented by numerous other persons, you probably have found one of your brand ambassadors. They may help you spreading fast your content and information.
Furthermore, especially on Twitter, it is helpful to create hashtags to bundle communication activities about your business. Make your audience use it. For an effective topic grouping, you have to be specific and unique when it comes to the creation of a hashtag. „Otherwise, you will have a lot of noise", says Devault. Furthermore, a good hashtag makes it easy to track people talking about your business, a certain topic or an event. Use your hashtags on your print materials, t-shirts, and so on to call the people's attention.
Whenever you organize a press conference or an event, enable your participants to „live share" content online. „Provide free wifi to them", says Devault. Another way to engage people in communication your business: Try to reward them for getting involved. This could be giving a freebie away, for example.
Meet your goals
As an entrepreneur you have to find a different approach to social media than as a private person. If you want to succeed in communicating your business, increase your traffic and followers, generate interaction and even revenue, you need more than just a presence on these platforms.
A strategic approach to social media is probably more promising, in comparison to an informal use of these platforms. Developing an action plan enables you to build a strong, consistent social media strategy for your business. It allows you to balance efforts and benefits, to plan content delivery, and to reach your audience accurately. The four step strategy of identification, information, integration, and engagement may help to meet these goals.
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