Social Media Marketing & Consulting Services In New York

The key point about social media is to manage it and not be managed by it.

We approach social media as a powerful tool to add to your overall marketing tool chest. Rarely can it be used alone.

The time-tested approach is to strategically include social media as part of your overall business and marketing plan. We call this "Strategic Alignment."

This simplified chart demonstrates strategic alignment; business strategy drives marketing strategy, which in turn drives inbound marketing, which directs social media.

Optimal results are obtained when social media is managed in this way.

The Budget Allocation Method

One way to manage the complexity and opportunity of social media is via the budget allocation of time and dollars. Here is the outline to a simple approach:

1.  Divide the total marketing budget into Outbound (traditional marketing elements such as direct mail, TV, and radio that are pushed on potential customers) and Inbound (new marketing elements such as websites and social media that attract potential customers / pull them in) components.

2.  Allocate human resource hours and dollar expenditures (for outside design for example) to each line item. Given the potential of social media, you may wish to overweight it relative to the other components.

Here is a simplified chart of what the budget allocation can look like:

3.  Check for reasonableness. Ask yourself, "Is this allocation of resources the best way to achieve the business goals?" If not, change the allocation.

4.  The final step is to allocate the social media budget into its components, such as gaining knowledge, developing a social media strategy, and implementing programs.

Strengths Of The Budget Allocation Approach

This method places the investment in social media in the context of the bigger objective of achieving financial and customer goals. It allows for a rational investment in social media relative to its short-term and long-term perceived value rather than an emotional "just do it for the sake of doing it" approach.

• The focus is on delivering financial and customer performance, not on social media tactics and activities.
• Social media is properly positioned as a means to an end, not the end itself.

Learn More
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