Boosting Your Outreach

Don’t Forget Importance of Social Media Strategy

Since launching this blog on how small businesses and non-government organizations (or non-profits) can boost their outreach, I touted the benefits of tapping the distinctive attributes of social media and encouraged readers to take advantage of Twitter, Facebook, Linked In, Instagram, Pinterest and other venues.

Additionally, I simultaneously advised my audience about the importance of developing a social media strategy before venturing into cyberspace. My guidance was understandable. Any serious plan or project that entrepreneurs and civil society leaders are contemplating must be preceded by a comprehensive strategy discussion beginning with addressing the question “why do we need social media to boost our outreach.”

Among the questions that you have to decide for your organizations are:

1. Why do we want to be involved in social media?

2. Which platforms are best for you organization?

3. What do we want to say to our readers, stakeholders, customers, audience and how often?

4. Who will comprise the social media team?

“Social media can be helpful but we have to know why we want it and have a plan. Wanting it because everyone else has it is not enough and can be detrimental. With a plan, social media won’t turn into a plaything. I also think that senior management should be prepared for it and familiar with the concepts and lexicon so you can hold your own during the discussion, launch and implementation. One tweet is not enough, you should join the conversation and invite others to join your conversation,” I wrote in a February 25, 2015, post.

For a refresher you can refer to that post as well as those on March 1, 2015, and March 4, 2015.

I recently read a similar article advising businesses – and by association non-profits – about the need to create a digital marketing strategy. Liz Alton, writing on an IBM marketing website, noted that with the wide array of marketing solutions can lead to greater opportunities to connect with the marketplace, advocates and other stakeholders. However, she continued, without a clear strategy “it’s easy to invest a lot of resources and money without any tangible return.”

Citing a surprising statistic, Alton wrote: “A study by Smart Insights found that 47% of businesses are doing digital marketing without a clear strategy, which makes it impossible to successfully navigate today’s integrated omni-channel and real-time-data-powered digital environment.”

Alton recommended that entrepreneurs and NGOs consider the following points:

1. Align your digital marketing with your bigger business goals.

2. Get your team focused on what’s important.

3. Prioritize your technology investments.

4. Dedicate the right resources.

5. Focus your customer intelligence initiative.

6. Minimize duplication and waste.

7. Build a better customer experience.

8. Continually improve your performance.

9. Experiment with new approaches.

10. Integrate and optimize your digital marketing.

“Digital marketing is no longer optional. Customers are looking for brands online – from seeking basic information to looking for support and interaction. Don’t become one of those brands that’s failing to make an impact because it’s being pulled in too many directions. Create a strategy that will let you define your goals, focus your resources behind your most important business objectives, and reap real rewards from your digital marketing efforts,” Alton concluded.

Send your examples

If you have examples of creative usage of social media to boost outreach, let me know about it and I’ll help you spread the word about your success.

I’d also like to invite you to visit my Thought Leadership website:

http://thoughtleadership.yolasite.com/

In case you missed this bonus

Here’s a bonus resource for NGOs and small businesses that has been popular. It is undoubtedly beneficial to use illustrations or photos to get your point across. You can take your own photo or draw your own picture. Hiring professionals to do so would be expensive as would be subscribing to a stock photo agency. But these websites of photos for your promotional or marketing campaigns offer free photos. Yes, free. Enjoy browsing these sites. Some offer paid premium alternatives.

Negative Space

http://negativespace.co/

Death to the Stock Photo

http://deathtothestockphoto.com/

Picjumbo

http://picjumbo.com/

Stokpic

http://stokpic.com/

Kaboompics

http://kaboompics.com/

Startup Stock Photos

http://startupstockphotos.com/