Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Flipboard 0 The other day I was browsing around on a certain company’s website when I noticed at the very bottom, next to the business’s address and privacy policy, there were no fewer than nine social icons. Nine! Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest? Check. Check. Check. YouTube? LinkedIn? They made an appearance, too. Yelp? Yelp?! Got it covered. Plus, there were three additional icons related to this particular business’s mobile app. It begs the question… can you have too much social media marketing? At BuzzPlant, we believe that every marketing strategy has a tipping point. Too much of a good thing can turn into a not-so-very-good-thing in no time. Whether your brand is just starting to toe the social waters, or whether you’ve been Tweeting away since 2007, take some time to refocus with these pointers. #1 Set Objectives A social media strategy without clear objectives is no strategy at all. Don’t assume that your strategy is to “make the sale” or even just to “connect with fans.” Write down measurable objectives and start brainstorming ways they can be met in the digital sphere. Potential objectives: Spread the word about your product/service/campaign. Create a public outlet where you can bring your brand’s voice to life. Engage in the conversation surrounding your industry. Joe Pulizzi, founder of the Content Marketing Institute, emphasizes the importance of developing a content marketing mission statement in this blog post. Definitely worth a read, if you need help honing in your company’s true purpose in social media marketing. #2 Narrow Your Scope Over time, many companies accumulate social media profiles like Mardi Gras beads: they’re interesting and exciting for the moment, but start collecting dust at the bottom of the closet a few days later. Turn a fresh page and clean house. Delete or disable any and all social media profiles that don’t directly contribute to your current objectives. Too many social media profiles can be burdensome. You’ll either feel obliged to use them (though you lack the content or company resources) or you will end up using them and eventually spread yourself too thin. Try to limit yourself to 2-3 platforms as you’re starting out. #3 Create a Strategy Once you have your objectives and your platforms, create a strategy that helps you meet those objectives. This is the essential nuts and bolts, nose-to-the-grindstone step. Abstract objectives that aren’t rooted in actual behavior won’t get you anywhere. A few tips on developing your social marketing strategy: Determine your frequency and volume of posts across all platforms. Decide how many posts will be original content and how many posts will share others’ content. Don’t forget about engaging in conversation with others. Social is a two-way street. Create an editorial calendar. Heidi Cohen offers great advice on how to do this. #4 Track With Analytics Lastly, track all of your efforts with analytics. All goals can be measured. If you use a social media management service like HootSuite or Salesforce this can be a lot easier. However, there’s always a poor man’s way of doing just about everything in the world of analytics. For example, you can use different URLs for Twitter, Facebook, etc., and then track visitor flow in Google Analytics. What tips have you found to be helpful for developing an effective social media marketing strategy? Let’s hear ‘em! Twitter Tweet Facebook Share Email This article originally appeared on Buzzplant and has been republished with permission.Find out how to syndicate your content with B2C Author: Bob Hutchins Follow @Bobhutchins There’s a good chance you’re familiar with Bob or have seen his work. He’s an author, speaker, educator and founder/former CEO of digital marketing agency The Buzzplant. When it started, The Buzzplant pioneered digital marketing for the music industry and eventually went on to make a significant impact in the… View full profile ›More by this author:2022 Will Be the Year of First-Party DataSocio-Technical Systems Theory, and Why It Is Essential to Human Flourishing and Humanizing TechnologyHow Can We Push for Better, More Human Technology? (In Light of the Facebook Leaked Documents)