What if you were given the task to develop a strategic, operational and, tactical military strategy? Think you could do it? Where would you even begin? Okay now relax–luckily you’re only responsible for developing your company’s social media strategy.
The process it takes to develop and execute a social media strategy is very similar to planning and organizing a military campaign. Instead of artillery, soldiers, tanks, and air support at your disposal you have Youtube, Twitter, Facebook, and Flickr (insert any platform). As you start to visualize your social platforms as active strategic pieces, ask yourself the following questions:
1) Which social platform is your main effort? If it’s your blog, how are your other platforms supporting that main effort?
2) Does your social media strategy leave room for flexibility and maneuverability? Just as the old war adage goes “Even the best military plan goes to hell once the bullets meet the meat.” War is chaotic and unpredictable, and so are consumer habits and trends. Your strategy needs to be capable of adapting and overcoming obstacles.
3) Mitch Joel puts it perfectly in his book Six Pixels of Separation, stop asking what and starting asking why. As Mitch puts it, once you start asking why, you have started talking strategy. So ask yourself how that particular social platform supports your strategy or main effort? If It doesn’t don’t be afraid to cut ties.
When it comes to complex and sometimes abstract concepts such as social media strategy, it’s sometimes easier to grasp if you look at it from a perspective that makes sense to you. The comparison to military strategy worked for me, but it might not work for you.
So I ask, what helps you understand Social Media strategy?
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
I agree with the fact that the military should ease up on their social media “laws”. The soldiers SHOULD be able to express themselves throughout the internet, and social media sites.
{ 1 trackback }