Building Blocks: The Social Strategist vs. Someone Who Is Just Good on Social Media

This post is simple. This is inspired by the myriad of people out there who come up with great social media ideas, or who can get some activity on a post but don’t think too far beyond that, and the businesses who hire them expecting results after one good “show”.

Take heed:

One social media person can not drive the success of a business. It takes an entire team and an entire company.

Social media is not about being a flash in the pan.

Social media is not about getting one viral video.

Social media work is about building something – something big.

You have heard this before, it is about building relationships.
You don’t do this by providing one good laugh or one good time.
You do this by showing interest in what matters to the people you are trying to reach. Then building on that using techniques and approaches that allow your message to keep moving, long after a tweet is first sent.

A social media person will get your ball rolling , a strategist figures out how that ball plays into every aspect of your business and gives you tools and training to deliver.

• They lay the groundwork to be ready to respond, and deliver.
• A social strategist doesn’t just focus on marketing, they focus on the big picture and help you put actionable items into place to support your long term goals.

Next time you are looking at a great social media idea, ask yourself what the big picture is.

What is this going to deliver? How will your various departments and team members play their role and what kind of support will you need?

If your social media person has not covered this with you, and devised a plan to provide training to do all of this , along with some tools, then you better think twice.

Do you have a brief moment of glory in the sun ahead of you, or have you built a complete strategy to turn this “15 minutes of fame” into part of a long term plan, the framework for ongoing success?

It’s about sustainability.

It’s okay to go for a quick fix, you just better be sure you understand how that fits in with what you are trying to accomplish overall . Make each investment into your social activity count.

Have you done any social marketing?

What has your experience been?

I’d love to hear your thoughts!