Auditing your current social media strategy

In a study released in June 2013, the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project found that 61 percent of Americans own a smartphone. The study found that 91 percent of the adult population owning some sort of mobile phone. The jump in smartphone users is substantial. According to Pew’s previous reports, in May 2011, 35 percent of Americans owned smartphones, while in February 2012, 46 percent owned one.

The growing trend of smartphone users has led to increased applications (apps) for the devices. The largest social networks recognize the growing market of smartphone users and have led the way in developing easy-to-use mobile apps. Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and others are no longer just websites that you visit when you need to take a break from your day’s tasks. As a user, you can snap a photo and push it to your Facebook friends, Twitter followers, and LinkedIn connections in a matter of seconds.

Facebook and Instagram

In 2012, Facebook acquired Instagram for $1 billion in cash and stock. Since then, the two have pulled their resources and have seen explosive growth in the photography segment. Facebook has reached 665 million daily active users. Forty-five million photos are uploaded to Instagram every day.

Have you developed a strategy to actively engage your social media stars to feel connected to your brand through photos? Something as simple as pictures from a meeting or a tour of your office show the human side to your brand that doesn’t come from text.

Twitter

Twitter is the fastest growing social network in the world. The largest segment embracing 140-character tweets are 55 to 64 year olds. Twenty-one percent of the world’s Internet population uses Twitter at least once per month. And 83 percent of Twitter users expect a same-day customer service response from a brand.

Have you established a policy for questions and/or complaints received via Twitter and all of your social media channels? If not, you need to. Right now. Multiple resources can be found online on this topic. A social media policy for how your staff utilizes platforms is important. But even more important is knowing how and when to respond or assist users.

LinkedIn

Every second, two new people register for LinkedIn. Over 2.6 million companies have LinkedIn company pages.

Have you shared job postings on LinkedIn as the company, but more importantly, as a current staff member of the company? Using your connections to help spread the word about openings is the best digital word of mouth marketing out there. You have already established a relationship with your connections; put the digital connection to work for you.

YouTube

YouTube reaches more U.S. adults aged 18-34 than any cable network. Over 100 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute.

You may not have a product that you can do a flashy demonstration of, but you can use YouTube to engage and highlight board members. Showcase what drives your organization every day. Again, sharing the human connection in this digital world.

The important part of every social media channel is knowing its defined purpose to you, the brand. Don’t register new accounts for the sake of having a profile on the platform and end up doing nothing with the page. Set clear goals for all of your social media channels. These goals will help you determine if your brand has a definite need for a YouTube page or Twitter account.

As a brand, are you there to engage your constituent base? Are you interacting with thought-leaders in your industry? Are you building a reputation as the go-to expert in your field?

Maybe you are dedicating company resources to connecting and engaging users, but are you evolving with today’s always-connected world?