The importance of social media strategy in your marketing plan
The ongoing debate about whether having a social media strategy is necessary or redundant has been over for years now, and those in favor of creating a strategy are absolute winners. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail in your goal of becoming a social business.
In the era of integrated marketing efforts all your marketing goals should be created from your overall business objectives. Social Media strategy, as part of your marketing plan should have a place in your business plan and have its objectives, tactics and metrics defined.
Benefits of "mapping it instead of writing it"
Years ago, when one would think of a social media strategy plan, they'd probably think of a long MS Word document (and probably feel sorry for the next person in line to read it). But as mind mapping emerged as a technique there are some clear benefits that it brings compared to a 2000 words written document. Here are some of the benefits of mind mapping your social media strategy:
Easy comparison of goals and metrics
Mind maps are flexible. You can easily adjust the subtopics of your plan and view and compare only the things needed at the moment of your analysis. Moreover, incorporating your plans into your overall business plan is not only easier, but faster and easily distinctive.
Faster creation of your content strategy
Mind mapping is the best technique available for keeping notes of your brainstorming sessions, regardless if you are brainstorming alone or with your colleagues. Mind mapping, works similar to the way or mind works, improving visualization and inspiring creativity. This means you will find your brainstorming sessions shorter and ideas better. Similar to the mind maps that contain your tactics, goals and metrics, you can merge the mind maps from your single brainstorming sessions and create a giant idea repository that will continue to grow with time.
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Brainstorm better" template created with iMindQ
Improved quality of content
Many mind mapping software solutions allow for variety of media to be added inside the mind map topics and subtopics. This means when creating your content plan for any social network you can include images, links, info graphics videos etc, making your content plan richer and more substantial and saving time before posting.
Fun and easy presentation
Most of the marketing managers and CEOs, who should approve your well designed social media strategy are tired of numbers, percentages and pie charts. Presenting your plan in a mind map, with a variety of media included will increase your audience's engagement and increase your chances of getting approval.