Building a Social Media Strategy can be an overwhelming prospect. It requires an understanding of the “Social Personality” and how consumers or fans are using their social networks. Often we find that a client will march forward with a social media agenda that is nothing more than a traditional marketing plan, just delivered over Twitter or Facebook. A few months into the program the results are not living up to their expectations and they find themselves in a tough spot. “I know I need to be here, but what am I doing wrong and how do I do it RIGHT?”
At MarKyr we needed a simple way to determine WHY or HOW a social media program had gotten off track. It needed to ask all the right questions and offer a solution that was easy to implement and worked every time. We came up with the Three C’s as a way for our clients to have a checks and balances to keep their program moving and successful.
The foundation of The Three C’s is an interconnectedness - without one corner of the triangle the other two won’t work. For example, if you are engaging in relevant conversation via Twitter and Facebook by Tweeting articles and leaving comments in Groups you are off to a good start. But without making a connection with individuals you will never be able to build a real community. You can also be connecting and conversing with your audience but if you don’t have a place for them to gather around your brand or converse with one another then you lose out on the benefits of having a real community.
CONVERSATION
Conversation is the first part of the 3 C Triangle, and perhaps the most important. Without conversation there would be nothing to talk about with your audience. If you are just pushing out promotional items or things that interest only YOU, then it is no wonder that you aren’t getting results.
The first question to ask when your program is not going according to plan is:
What Conversation am I Starting or Participating in?
To help you narrow this down ask the following questions:
What are people saying about my product or industry RIGHT NOW?
Are there any issues that relate to my community that need to be discussed?
Has there been any big news or releases that would be important for my community to talk about?
CONNECTION
Are you responding to comments left on your wall or @mentions on Twitter? When someone speaks to you, are you speaking back? There have been many instances where a brand is using Facebook, Twitter and other platforms to simply push out content. Strike two if the content is not something that your readers want. If you aren’t making a real connection with your readers, you will lose them. In a world of constant communication, your lack of connection will get your removed from an Activity Feed on Facebook or an Unfollow on Twitter. And what good are your 10k friends if none of them see your updates?
Ask yourself the following questions:
Am I Providing My Readers With Content They WANT To See?
Am I Responding To Wall Posts And Tweets That Mention My Name or Brand?
What DOES My Audience Want From Me?
Do I Acknowledge The Good Works of My Fans?
What Am I Doing to Truly CONNECT With People?
COMMUNITY
The real value of Social Media for a brand is in the ability to build COMMUNITY. This community will become your life blood for years to come if you cultivate and support it properly. An active community of loyal fans/friends will help to bring business and revenue to you as long as you participate. This is really the end result of the first two. But if you fail to grasp this point all your previous work will have less impact and meaning to your overall bottom line.
To determine if this is where you need help, ask the following questions:
What Have I Done to Create a Sense of Community With My Fans/Followers?
Do I Support My Community With Special Events, Deals or Education?
Does My Community Feel I Provide Value?
Take the time to really analyze these questions against your current program. Once you spot the side of the triangle that is not in sync, you should be on your way to recovering your Social Media program.
Good luck! Please let us know if this advice is helpful to you. We look forward to hearing from you!
