Getting started on social platforms
To say that social media marketing is a hot topic is a mild understatement. Due to growing consumer adoption and media coverage, companies have been increasingly engaging in social media strategies. Unfortunately, far too many corporate marketers are making mistakes in their first forays, and errors can be extremely costly. The following guide, including the platform checklist on page 4, provides insights into developing successful social media strategies based on a clear understanding of social platform technology, users, opportunities, and challenges.
Step 1: Understand the benefits of social media
Before we get too deep into analyzing each social media platform, it is always helpful to revisit the benefits of engagement. Social media marketing benefits for companies include:
- Consumer and competitive insights gained from buzz monitoring and user demographic data
- Customer support
- Generating awareness and thought leadership
- Online reputation management
- Strategic partnerships and recruiting
