Social Media Essay

Social Media Strategy

Step 1: Set your goals
  1. What is this institution or initiative all about? Who is the target audience? These questions should focus and filter your planning more than anything else.
  2. What kind of new relationships is the institution seeking? How would the institution like to alter or strengthen its relationship with the target audience? What kind of relationship is sought? Relationship types may include: broadcasting, spreading, listening, sharing, embracing, energizing, supporting, research, exchange, conversation… Ideally, you will pick one or two relationships that seems appropriate to the mission and goals, although institutions that are looking at comprehensive media plans may need documentation and ideas in several relationship buckets.
Step 2: Resources

What resources (time, money, and people) does the institution have to support this effort? What rules or control issues may prevent certain kinds of interactions? What are they already doing, what have they tried, and where are they now? These questions should help you define a reasonable scope for the project and hone in on some tactics that may be more appropriate than others.
  1. What is the institution's intent with regard to its desired audience?
  2. How will they manage, grow, and respond to their newly energized communities? You need to make sure you are recommending something that the institution can honestly, enthusiastically, and appropriately manage in the context of their work processes etc. This is very hard to ascertain from the outside, but asking questions like, “what will you do with visitors’ contributions?” or “what will you do if someone posts something that is inaccurate?” can help.
Step   3: Develop your ideas and explain the plan
  1. Share your brilliant ideas. What are you recommending and why?
  2. What are the startup needs? What will the institution have to do to get this going?
  3. What is the promotion plan? How can the...