In our more than a decade of helping clients of all sizes and types develop and maintain their social media presences, Elmore has learned a thing or two about what brands should do and should not do online. And while every social media strategy is as unique as the client we are serving, we have found there are some universal dos and don’ts which all organizations should consider. If you are ready to take your social media strategy to the next level, check out the first part of our tips below and contact us to get started.
DO: Develop a strategic plan.
At Elmore, we jump at the chance to support our clients through strategic planning. We conduct a thorough audit of your current online presence then convene your marketing team and our digital strategists to determine how you want your organization to be perceived online. A finalized plan will outline those goals, content categories, brand voice, posting guidelines, metrics for determining success, and more. It will serve as a guide for all team members responsible for posting on behalf of your organization.
DO: Establish your organization’s “pillars of storytelling.”
Define the categories of content your organization will share. For instance, a parks organization might have the following content buckets: programming posts, fundraising posts, and parkgoer stories. A B2B company’s pillars of storytelling might be: company updates, “In the News” posts, and product features. Determining these categories and sticking to them will help keep your content focused and authentic.
DO: Determine your organization’s voice.
What do you want your brand to sound like online? Are you playful, fun, and quirky? Are you buttoned up and matter of fact? Whatever your voice is, that is the tone all posts should take. With a well-defined voice, the responsibility of posting on behalf of the organization can be shared without the audience ever knowing the difference.
DON’T: Try to copy any other organization or brand.
Your followers are following you because they want to hear what you have to say and because they appreciate how you say it. Remain authentic by avoiding imitating others. Stay in your lane.
DO: Revisit your plan regularly.
When you plan your social media strategy, we recommend you also plan the cadence for how often to review the effectiveness and measure for success. To see trends, we recommend not reviewing more frequently than quarterly. It is also best practice for the client/agency team to review the goals, pillars of storytelling, and brand voice. If any of these components have changed, they can be discussed amongst the team, revised in the plan, and reflected in the subsequent execution.
Social media is serious business, and an experienced strategist can navigate you through the digital waters. Elmore offers digital marketing and social media services in conjunction with our other firm services to ensure clients have a consistent, fitting, and engaging presence online and off.
