Social Media Strategies

Everyone’s jumping on the bandwidth bandwagon. From login to blogging and tweeting till’ twilight, countless hours are spent feeding threads, updating profile statuses, posting photos, responding to preferred links and engaging in conversation with followers, friends, fans and complete strangers. Whether joining Facebook, Myspace, Twitter or the latest social network craze, organizations are linking their way into the social media stream and discovering the advantages of real-time communication.

What’s the buzz? Tell me what’s happening? Now! Now! Now! We live in a "now world." Your customers want now answers and now results. So give it to them. If the most successful marketing strategy is word-of-mouth, why not enhance it exponentially and spread your word at light-speed. Give them a glimpse of your organization, your mission, your position, your personality and what you will do for them. Get them involved. Whether it’s through viral videos, blogs or instant messaging, interact with them. Provide feedback. Viral media is nothing more than communicating your message through a giant megaphone. And when you’re done, those you connect with will connect with their networks, and so forth. Keep the “buzz” alive.

But before launching from a social media platform and amplifying your message, have a plan. It’s a jungle out there. A non-stop network. A social cyberspace. Don’t place your organization center-stage without knowing its role, establishing it’s goals and anticipating outcomes and actions. What’s your plan? What are your key objectives? Strategies? What do you want to communicate? Who do you want to reach? How will you engage them? Who’s representing your organization? How many site administrators? Your online avatar can be everywhere. Your identity, brand and image are virtually performing live for the curious world. Is your message clear?

Caler&Company specializes in communicating your name, identity, mission and position to targeted audiences consistently throughout all forms, from social media, online digital media and interactive Web sites to print, outdoor and broadcast.

Objective: To create a social networking platform enabling fans of the Akron Area YMCA to share their YMCA experiences through posts, messages and photos; while engaging them in discussion boards concerning health, wellness and family topics; and informing them of upcoming events, YMCA programs and community news.

Target Audience: Kids, teens, adults (especially stay-at-home parents), and older adults seeking active, social and healthy lifestyle choices.

Result: With no promotion, no network building initiatives and after only 4 weeks Live online, the Akron Area YMCA Facebook Fan page quietly grew to 378 fans. This gave us the opportunity to realize an audience seeking out the YMCA and its offerings, as well as how we can continue growing this Facebook page and strengthening the Akron Area YMCA.

Caler&Company met with Akron Area YMCA CEO, Doug Kohl and I.T. Support, Ken Hoyt, to discover the main objectives, key strategies, advantages and limitations of a Facebook Fan page. With administrative responsibilities, Caler&Company pays careful attention in maintaining an online avatar that is consistent with the YMCA’s mission, vision, values and position. In efforts to share YMCA experiences, upcoming events, news and programs with the quick-clicking, online audience, Caler&Company constantly engages fans with daily posts, comments, questions, photos current information and discussion boards on relevant content.s

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