These days, the conversation is shifting from if clubs should integrate social media into their marketing strategies to how to use these tools most effectively to increase exposure, sales and customer engagement. According to research by eMarketer, 35 percent of small businesses use social networking sites, and four out of five large companies (those with 100 or more employees) plan to use social media in their marketing mix this year.

Whether you are just getting started with social media or have been at it for a while, outlining and sticking to an overall strategy will yield better results than a spray and pray approach.

Consider these 10 basic points when setting your social media goals:

Look before you leap. Once you’ve made the decision to incorporate social media into your marketing plan, explore the practices of successful companies inside and outside of your industry. What platforms do they use? How do they create a presence? What services do they offer online? Who is their audience? What topics are important to their customers and fans? Observing companies’ activities and interactions on their blogs, Facebook pages, YouTube channels, Twitter feeds and Foursquare profiles can give you a window into how they integrate social media into their marketing activities.

Begin with the end in mind. What specifically do you want to achieve through social media, and how will you track your success? Your primary objectives may be to promote your brand message, provide customer service, gather feedback, build goodwill or generate new leads. Once you have identified your highest priorities, you will have a better idea of what your activities should be and how you can best measure them.

Know your audience. In addition to knowing with whom you should be talking, you’ll want to know where to find them. By publishing quality content with effective keywords, you will see your audience build over time. Participate on channels where your prospects are likely to be found. Become part of the discussion by asking questions, soliciting opinions, providing answers and sharing great information. Your current followers will be a great referral source. Remember to recruit fans and followers offline, too. Placing the familiar Facebook and Twitter icons at the bottom of your club’s printed materials is a quick way to let members and prospects know that they can find you on those sites. You can even include SMS texting instructions so that members and guests can join your forum via cell phone.

Quality of the message trumps quantity. With so many social media outlets, it is easy to bite off more than you can chew. For best results, craft a focused channel strategy. Begin by targeting just a couple of platforms that seem well-suited to your objectives. It may be appropriate to add more tools down the road, but concentrating your efforts on a select few may help you gain better traction. Rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach, think of ways your activities on each site can work. A copy-and-paste of content across multiple networks will not be as effective as tailoring content for each unique social media stream.

NEXT PAGE: WHY CONTENT AND GUIDELINES MATTER

Want to use this article? Click here for options!
© 2012 Penton Media Inc.