What's Behind Your Goals and Objectives on Social Media?

In the first step of my eight step approach to developing a social media program, I discuss knowing and including your goals and objectives.
But, have you thought about what’s behind your goals and objectives? I mean really thought about it?
This article will go behind your goals and objectives to help you understand how to develop ones which are appropriate for social media and help you get where you want to be.
Let’s get started!
First, there’re your overall, strategic goals.
These are easy, we can assume that you’re a going concern and want to be around for a while and you want to be profitable. (Or, if you’re a non-profit, whatever that goal is that tells you’re successful.)
Next are the tactical goals to enable the strategic ones.
Here’s where it starts to get tricky.
These goals start to get specific as in revenues, profits, number of customers. new products, new releases on existing products, and customer retention and satisfaction.
But, are these truly actionable or merely aspirational?
Further, how do you make them actionable for social media.
Once, in an early meeting with a client, I asked what his most important goal was.
He replied, “Achieving one million dollars in sales.”
I next asked what was necessary to produce a sale. (I’m notorious for leading questions.)
Silence.
This is a common response especially with start-ups.
People think that they can either just go out and sell or people will simply come to them.
Sorry, it doesn’t work that way.
You have to understand how you’re going to approach your potential customers and how you’re going to walk them through your sales funnel.
You have to think about how you’ll use social media on each step of their journey.
Will you use social media to sell, to brand, to provide customer support, to social sell, or to educate?
Once you’ve figured that out what does this mean for your content strategy, posting strategy, what types of metrics will you need?
Get my point?
Your social media strategy needs to be closely tied to your goals and objectives which need to be in a format conducive to working with social media.
Invariably, this means taking your overall goals and objectives down to their lowest common denominator.
Remember, social media is for the long haul. It’s a marathon not a sprint!
That’s it for now!
Also, never forget to reach out to either ask questions or to ask for help from someone like myself!
In the meantime, thank you for following and reading my blog!
I look forward to any and all comments that you may have. I will reply to any comments made to this blog post as promptly as I can.
Remember!
I do this for a living and if I can be of any assistance to either you or your organization, please feel free to call on me. Our initial discussion will be of no charge to you.