Social Media Engagement is Not a Timeline

How do we make this social? What about adding a social media component to this? Questions like this can come up a lot during the planning process, but the fundamental issue with them is that they falsely suggest that social media marketing efforts should have a beginning and an end dictated by a particular promotion or effort.

Unlike traditional media, social media doesn’t always fit on a flow chart. Social media engagement is an ongoing behavior, method and mindset for brands looking to communicate with consumers.

Social Media is a Circle

Successful social media strategies have no beginning, no middle and no end. They are ongoing, sustainable. Adding social media to a promotion is really the wrong way to think about.

I’m not saying that promotions don’t have a place in social media, but I am saying that social media engagement shouldn’t come as an afterthought to make a particular promotion stronger. It will fail.

Instead, establish your channels now, build on them and commit to ongoing engagement. This opens up social media channels that can be leveraged down the line for upcoming promotions.

Don’t Think Tactically, Think Experientially

The fundamental problem is that brands too often approach social media with tactics in mind. These efforts more often than not end in failure because efforts ring hollow.

An experience rooted in the brand should dictate behavior in the social space. Then promotions, as they make sense, can become a part of that experience in a way that doesn’t feel tacked on and last minute, but instead, feels integrated and strategically driven.