5 things your social media strategy can’t live without

Social media is an extension of an organization’s communications toolkit, whether it increases the amount of funds you raise, attracts strategic partners, or expands relationships with existing audiences.

How do you effectively incorporate social media into the communications and marketing mix? By developing a comprehensive strategy that includes these five components:

1. Quantifiable goals

Every strategy needs quantifiable goals. Just because you want a Facebook page or are eager to join Twitter doesn’t mean you have a strategy. To create a strategy, choose platforms your key audiences use and determine which type of information they want to receive about your organization through those platforms.

Equipped with this intelligence, you can then outline quantifiable goals, such as “attract 10 new volunteers each quarter and grow fundraising by 10 percent.”

2. Key message points

While you will need to adapt messages to fit the platforms you decide to use, it is important that social media and traditional messaging have the same voice and communicate the same unique selling benefits.

Outline three to five key message points to help eliminate confusion, and make sure your social media platforms have voices that align with the overall brand.