The New Community Rules

Chapter 2. Goal Setting in a Social Environment

Before you embark on a social media marketing campaign, you need to clearly articulate and understand exactly what it is that you intend to achieve. What are you hoping to accomplish? Are you looking for more eyeballs, conversions, or both? In this chapter, we’ll review the essential steps required to develop your social media marketing campaign and offer solutions for a variety of scenarios that such a campaign can address.

It’s important to acknowledge that social media marketing, without goal setting, can turn out badly. Social media marketing is about real, personal relationships. As such, you must listen and respond appropriately. It takes research and careful planning to determine how you will engage with community constituents. If you are jumping into the game without being aware of your surroundings and your space, the consequences can be disastrous. For example, most homeowners are not very appreciative of telemarketer intrusions during dinner. In the online space, the sentiment is similar. People can choose who to listen to and who to weed out. If your mission is to “sell, sell, sell,” and not to “give, give, give,” you will fail because people are no longer receptive to forceful marketing tactics. Clearly outlining the goals of your campaign and then carefully reviewing the steps that are required to achieve these goals will give you a better grasp of your needs and how to attain them.

The Hurdle: Overcoming Fear About an ...