Why a social media symphony can be sweet music for your business

We’ve all marvelled at the harmonious sounds of a symphony in full flight. It’s a joy to behold and an exercise in true teamwork.

If you took each of the highly talented musicians from the orchestra into a room and asked them to play something, I’m betting the end result would still sound pretty good.

But if you then placed them back together and got them to each play their favourite individual songs, what you’d have wouldn’t be a symphony… it would be a cacophony. The results would be disastrous.

It’s worth thinking about social media the same way.

In the same way that a carefully, literally orchestrated, group of musicians sound best when playing the same music, so your social channels will be most harmonious when they are all aligned with the same strategy, conducted by a knowledgeable leader.

If you’re wanting to make some sweet music with your socials, here are some aspects of strategy that you should start thinking about:

Outcomes
What is it exactly that you are trying to do? You can’t do everything, just like you can’t learn every song. Who are you playing for and what do they like to listen to?

Work this out and you can deliver the perfect show.

Success
What does it look like? Do you want a standing ovation or a positive review? Are you looking to sell a product or improve market sentiment?

Knowing what you want to achieve and knowing what that looks (and sounds) like is the backbone of a strategy.

Value

Value is something you should always be adding. This is hardly a new concept but I still don’t think it’s fully understood in many businesses or acted on properly.

Note: adding value isn’t about “what YOU think will add value to your business offerings.” It has to be about what your audience (your clients and customers) think adds value.

Diversity

The digital world is driven by trends and shiny things. Not every shiny thing will be worth adopting but the more of them you review and consider, the better chance you have of success.

By the time you’ve written your social media strategy, it will likely be time to revise it. In fact, you should always be revising it, in the knowledge that what works today might not work in the future.

Don’t just be where the market indicates you need to be, go where your audience values you. If they are all using Tumblr but don’t engage on your Facebook page, then it’s time to reconsider where you are playing.

There are a million new social media users each year and they are forcing the landscape to change quicker than ever before. You need to be changing with it.

Five key takeaways for B2B and B2C:

1. Social media strategy needs a common purpose
2. Always add value
3. Do what works for you, not what should work for you
4. Strategy is the art of sacrifice
5. Always consider your audience

Also in this series:

• The age of the individual
• Storytelling gives way to story living
• Why emotional intelligence is the smart play

Glenn Langridge is an expert in digital campaigning and marketing across multiple platforms, including social media. Contact Glenn.

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