Here’s a final wrap-up of what I’ve seen and heard regarding social media/online strategy from recent Social Media Week events in NYC and DC. While some events catered to specific industries, I am trying to share information that is applicable to various business fields. Oh, and, if you missed my last post, you’re missing out on some good stuff! Click here or the image below to see those insights!
Make It Visual!
– Long story short: an emphasis on photos should be a critical part of your content strategy
– Your followers will respond to visuals (pictures, infographs, etc.), pretty much every survey backs this up!
– A Tumblr representative mentioned “a whole generation has grown up with wide accessibility to photos”
– Critics say increased usage of graphics “dumbs down” content, but officials at Gannett/USA Today feel increased use of visuals allow a more complete story to be told
It’s All About Engagement
– As noted last week, successful web strategy must be conversational and include 2-way communication (taking your post live is not the final step)
– Create a simple survey to gather info from followers (SurveyMonkey is one of many sites to use for this)
– Don’t expect social media to immediately drive sales, users often make purchases weeks/months after engaging with a product/company online (engage now, buy later)
– Social media is best at driving sales when it’s used as part of a campaign that includes other paid media sources
Content Is Key
– View social media as a way to spin bad industry news to note something positive about your company/product
– Use a calendar (yep, an actual desk or wall calendar) to plan post content and times to avoid too many posts in one day or missing an opportunity to share a time-sensitive post
– Your posts should contain info that’s important to your audience, not you (Reingold PR: “bait has to taste good to the fish, not the fisherman”)
– Traits of those in charge of your content (individual or team): intuitive, soft skills, attention to detail, social by nature, able to quickly respond
– Content managers should meet with business managers to learn/establish goals of web strategy and establish metrics to evaluate success of online efforts
More Information
Check out http://www.socialmediaweek.org for links to webinars of Social Media Week events in New York City and Washington, DC.
Shane Goad: Digital Content | Social Media | On-Air Talent | Brand Management 
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