03 9 / 2010
Social Media Strategy – Part 3: How will you drive traffic to your social media program?
Today’s blog post is part three of a seven-part series of key planning questions everyone should ask themselves when developing a social media strategy.
In Part 2 of our Social Media Strategy blog series, we explored the importance of selecting the right social media tools for your audience, as different groups adopt various social media tools at different rates. The next step is to determine how to drive traffic to your social media program.
Oftentimes this is one step in planning that many marketers forget about or pay less attention to, instead focusing on the shiny, fun stuff like site design or app functionality. Just because you build it doesn’t mean they will come. Any social media initiative, whether it be creating a Twitter or Facebook profile, or launching a UGC contest or a custom brand community, should be tightly integrated with your other marketing programs and have its own mini go-to-market plan.
You may be thinking, “Oh gosh, more marketing programs to support my social media program.” Isn’t social media supposed to support my marketing efforts?? Sure, but think synergistically versus silo. Driving traffic to your social media program could be as easy as including “Follow Us” links in your weekly newsletter or a pod on your website advertising your new contest.
Take time to plan out how you’ll address the announcement of your new program and how you’ll continue to drive traffic back to it through viral features, new content or other social activities. Once the ball gets rolling, and you have a social program that is relevant and well-executed, your customers’ social networks will take over, sending new and repeat visits to your social media program.
Click here for sample questions on how to drive traffic to you social media program and check out our new and free Strategy Guide: Getting Started with Social Media. It includes seven additional planning questions you should ask yourself before launching into your social media initiative. Good luck!
