Social Media Strategy Or Package Of Measures?

The misunderstanding

Not all companies that use social media have a social media strategy. At the same time, not everything that is called a social media strategy is actually a social media strategy.

Many social media strategies are little more than a package of measures.

Note: measures in this sense also include conceptions, advertising campaigns and the like.

What distinguishes social media strategies from (packages of) measures

At first glance, it is not easy to distinguish between strategies and packages of measures, especially when the measures are aimed at strategically important goals of the company.

As a general distinction: strategy is the decision why we do one thing and not another. Sometimes it is problematic that the strategy is reduced to its result and the reason – the why – is neglected. However, in the why lies the real decision – the quality of the strategy.

How to tell the difference between strategy and action

Content

A strategy explains why we behave in a certain way and do not use other options.

Measures are the implementation of the strategy – also called tactics. Measures therefore describe what we do and how.

Information base

Social media strategies are based on

knowledge of the potential benefits of social media for the company as a whole / the company’s business model.
the company goals
the priorities of the company
the competitive situation in social media
the company’s resources.

Measures are either based on a strategy, i.e. describe how we implement this strategy in the form of individual measures, or are arbitrary or derived on the basis of past behavior or individual goals.

For a better understanding of the distinction

A strategy is the reasoned decision to do or not to do something – that is, the decision why we do or not do something, that is, the “why what decision”

An action is the decision to do something in a certain way – that is, what we do and how – the “why-how decision.”

How we implement the strategy – i.e. the tactics – leads to measures and packages of measures. The two are inevitably related.

Measures that are not backed by a defined and coordinated strategy can be useful for the company, but they do not replace a strategy.

There is a difference between doing something arbitrarily, out of a feeling, and doing something out of wise deliberation.

Cause of confusion

Many social media measures pay off on business goals. But that doesn’t make them strategies. In strategies, we define our goals and also determine which opportunities and benefits from social media we do not want to use (and why). At first glance, we find a common size in strategy and action (packages) in the form of what we do.

Therefore, when working with strategy and measures, it helps to pay attention to the second part of the two contents accordingly.

What to do if the social media strategy is not one.

At first glance, the realization of not having a valid social media strategy is no cause for particular joy. At second glance, there is considerable potential for more successful use of social media.

Other strategy misconceptions

The essence of strategy

Strategies are not monuments of genius carved in stone for eternity but practical decisions on how a company proceeds to realize its goals. Smart people know that strategies are more dynamic constructs than static monuments. Which means that we have to constantly check and adapt our strategies.

The value of the strategy lies not in its outcome but in its function or activity. Or explained with a well-known quote: Plans are nothing. Planning is everything.

For understanding: We have corporate goals and strategies for their implementation. If a strategy does not lead to success, we first adjust the strategy before we change the goals.

Life cycle of a strategy

A strategy-less starting position is no weaker or worse than that of a company with a strategy that is no longer current. Many companies think that strategies are long-lasting results. Reality has been proving this for centuries. In military strategy, there is a quote for good reason that no strategy survives the first shot.

We are well advised not to ignore this old experience and always keep in mind that no strategy remains unchanged from reality.

How quickly the life cycle of a strategy is completed depends on its quality but also on its environment.

If the environment of the strategy changes, if assumptions and prerequisites of a strategy change, its adjustment is inevitable and should be carried out immediately.
In addition to changes in the environment of the strategy or the assumptions and prerequisites, methodological or structural changes and internal changes within the company are occasions for immediate revision of strategies.

Methodological and structural changes can be new methods and ways of market communication or strategy development. Internal company changes that require adjustments to strategies are, for example, changes at the resource level.

Concrete options of action

If we do not have a social media strategy, we can immediately correct this problem by developing an up-to-date and valid strategy.
If we do not know if we still have a current and valid strategy, we can become a look into the assumptions and premises of our current strategy. If we do not know the assumptions and premises of this strategy, caution is advised. Perhaps the strategy is still relevant, but it is not complete and raises questions about its quality.

Strategy without action leads nowhere. Strategies without action lack implementation. They remain ideas without realization, thus ineffective.

Measures without strategy lead to an effect. However, whether this effect is the one that provides the greatest realizable benefit is left to chance.

Incomplete, out-of-date strategies are as problematic as outdated technologies in production. No freight forwarder would rely on horse-drawn vehicles for international transport. Keep it the same with your strategies and remember that the life cycles in this field can generally be much shorter than in production technologies and the environment of strategies in social media is extremely dynamic.

Recommendations

Develop a current, valid and complete social media strategy if they have not yet developed a social media strategy. Use the most powerful method for this.
Check an existing social media strategy for completeness, quality, and timeliness, and that it is developed using the most powerful method.

Nothing can contribute more to a company’s success than a more powerful strategy.

Questions about strategy in social media

No blog post can answer all the questions on a topic. Especially not one as complex as strategy.

So if you have any questions about the topic, just contact me. You can reach me

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Social media strategy or package of measures?