| With so many social media options – from | | | | other social media platforms. Your Facebook fan page |
| Facebook to Twitter to YouTube to LinkedIn – | | | | can also display your logo and live links. The same |
| it’s no wonder so many companies have a | | | | goes for many other social media options. Bring |
| disjointed social media strategy…or no strategy at all. | | | | elements of your current brand into as many places |
| All their online entities, including their website and blog, | | | | as possible. |
| are separate from each other. As a result, they may | | | | - Create an integrated strategy for your message too. |
| have lots of Twitter followers or Facebook fans, but | | | | Your message needs to have as much consistency |
| not as much web traffic and not as many sales as | | | | as your site’s look and feel. Therefore, create a |
| they’d like. The key is to bring all your online and | | | | strategy for the key messages you want to get out. |
| social media efforts together into one integrated | | | | Rather than thinking, “Here’s what we do on |
| strategy that positively impacts your company’s | | | | Facebook and these are the kinds of posts we write |
| bottom line. | | | | on Twitter,” create a core message for all your |
| For example, your company likely has a website, and | | | | social media activities. What is the information you |
| you may even have a blog. But is your blog connected | | | | want to convey so you and all of your employees |
| to your website? Is all your blog traffic counting as | | | | post messages that help the company achieve its |
| website traffic? If you also have a Twitter account | | | | goals? |
| and a Facebook fan page, are your followers and | | | | - Go everywhere. |
| fans able to easily link to your website? If you have | | | | Don’t limit your company to only being active on |
| how-to or product videos on YouTube, have you | | | | the most popular social media sites. Go on all of them. |
| created a YouTube channel that also links to your blog | | | | For example, if you have a video to post, why just |
| website/Facebook/Twitter and all your other social | | | | post it on YouTube? There are many video sharing |
| media accounts? For most companies, the answer is | | | | sites available. The same is true for the business |
| no. | | | | networking sites, the photo sharing sites, the |
| Remember that search engines rank your website in | | | | relationship building sites, etc. Remember, the more |
| many ways. Part of the equation is how much traffic | | | | you’re out there, the more you establish yourself in |
| your website receives as well as the keywords you | | | | your niche. It’s all about broadening your reach. And |
| use. If all those keywords are also in your blog and in | | | | the good news is that most, if not all, of the social |
| your social media posts, why not have everything | | | | media sites are free and are becoming more and |
| integrated in one place rather than scattered | | | | more business friendly every day. |
| throughout the internet? If your company is in 20 | | | | - Use technology to your advantage. |
| different places that are not connected, then you’re | | | | Yes, going to multiple social media sites to do regular |
| losing out on some serious website traffic. It’s | | | | postings can be time consuming. Therefore, let |
| always better to multiply your efforts rather than divide | | | | technology do the work for you. Programs such as |
| them. | | | | ping.fm enable you to post one message on many |
| So instead of thinking, “Our company has a fan | | | | different sites with the click of a single button. So |
| page, someone is monitoring Twitter, we have a | | | | there’s no need to sign in to multiple accounts and |
| website, our marketing person is doing blogs, and our | | | | retype the same posting repeatedly. With today’s |
| sales manager put some of our sales presentations on | | | | technology, you can put your posts in one or two |
| SlideShare,” you need to think, “All our online and | | | | places and broadcast them out to all your social media |
| social media activities are linked together to support | | | | sites. |
| our brand so people aren’t just seeing our fan | | | | Integration is the Key |
| page or one of our videos on YouTube; they’re | | | | These days, businesses are embracing and using |
| seeing everything we do because it’s all | | | | social media for everything from customer service to |
| integrated.” When you adopt an integrated strategy, | | | | branding. Because social media is transparent (we can |
| people will find you easier and your customer base will | | | | see what’s happening in real time), open (anyone |
| grow. | | | | can join), dynamic (it’s a two-way communication), |
| Get It Together | | | | and organic (it grows without advertising), companies |
| Whether you’re just starting your social media | | | | receive great rewards for little investment. As a result, |
| activities or have multiple separate accounts, joining | | | | companies and customers can now engage with each |
| everything together is quite simple. Here are some | | | | other as they have relevant conversations and build |
| guidelines to keep in mind. | | | | communities of interest that benefit both parties. |
| - Start with your philosophy rather than your | | | | The key to maximizing the benefits of social media is |
| technology. | | | | to take an integrated approach. After all, if someone |
| The first step is to acknowledge that you need an | | | | likes your company’s blogs or tweets, chances are |
| integrated strategy that brings everything together. | | | | they’ll like your products. But if you don’t have |
| While you may see the value of monitoring Twitter | | | | an integrated social media approach, your potential |
| and having a Facebook fan page, imagine how much | | | | customers may never know of everything you have |
| stronger your brand would be if all your followers and | | | | to offer. |
| fans could easily find your site without having to | | | | Additionally, all the tools to integrate your efforts are |
| search for it. So you want all your social media | | | | there. You simply have to use them. And as the |
| activities to be integrated with your current website | | | | various social media sites evolve and grow, they’ll |
| rather than having them off being their own thing. | | | | add more features that benefit businesses. Therefore, |
| - Keep your brand consistent. | | | | once your accounts are set up, keep checking back to |
| The brand you have on your website and the brand | | | | make sure you’re taking advantage of everything |
| you use in your traditional marketing efforts also needs | | | | they have to offer. |
| to be reflected in your social media activities. This | | | | The bottom line is that integration of your online and |
| includes your logo, tagline, color scheme, and images. | | | | social media efforts is the key to lasting success. |
| For example, both Twitter and YouTube enable you to | | | | Harness the power of integration and watch your |
| customize your page’s background with your logo, | | | | company’s sales and online ranking grow. |
| contact information, and links to your blog, website, and | | | | |