At the core of every endeavor is a mission statement, and that mission statement is built on values. What does your company value? What got you started on the crazy adventure of running a business, organization or campaign? The answer to those questions shapes everything you do on a daily basis and can naturally tie into your social strategy too.
One of the signs that you’re not spending enough time on your strategy is a lack of cohesion in “voice.” What does that mean? Content is all over the place and copy sounds like it comes from a multitude of authors instead of a single, confident source. If this scatter-brained approach sounds a bit like you, it’s time to revisit your values and build your approach to social media from there.
How can the mission of your business or organization naturally dovetail with your digital marketing efforts? Here are some examples.
Transparency
Looking to peel back the curtain and let folks see what’s going on behind the scenes? Social media provides access and dispels secrecy. You can have open and ongoing conversations about changes in staff that might make your followers nervous or a move to a new location that could have some fans bummed out. If part of your mission is to be open and accessible, sharing news and information about yourself is a natural extension of that directive.
Customers First
Is part of your mission to deliver the best customer service experience possible? Social media has become a go-to destination for fans with customer service questions. A robust approach to monitoring and handling requests in a timely way is a vital part of a sound social strategy. That means making sure you have enough dedicated staff hours to keeping an eye on all of your social platforms and being ready to deal with things like undelivered packages or misplaced orders.
Increasing Connection
Maybe you’re networking to organize around a social cause, or maybe you just want a way to stay in touch with the many people who visit your store every day. Social networks allow an unprecedented level of connection. If part of your mission is to break out of your silo and engage like minded individuals, businesses or organizations around you, working on social media is a dynamic tool to help you live out that goal.
Those are three big directives that can start to shape the framework of how you approach social media, but don’t forget that the values you practice in person everyday should also be reflected in the way you work on social media. Do you have an office culture built around expressing gratitude towards your co-workers? You can extend that into your social strategy by thanking customers and followers too.
If part of your organization’s ethical philosophy involves protecting the privacy of your staff members, that could mean staying far away from content that shines a bright light on employees. If, above all, you value stirring the pot, taking shots at authority figures or subverting the normal order of things, your social strategy should be a direct reflection of that irreverent spirit.
So which comes first–the chicken or the egg? Without a strong sense of your values and mission, it’s hard to build a social strategy that accomplishes your goals. If your social strategy is ailing, it might be a sign that you’re not sure exactly what it is you’re trying to communicate to the rest of the world in any medium. Take on the task of defining your values and a social strategy that feels more authentic to you and your followers is sure to follow.
