Beth Kanter provides a fantastic resource for Creating Your Organization’s Social Media Strategy Map. Designed with non-profits in mind, I believe that any organization or company can benefit from this advice and following these guidelines:

Here’s a roadmap and worksheet to do just that! Special thanks to Qui Diaz and Danielle Brigidia for giving this a real world test from the vantage point of a social media strategist in a nonprofit organization. What else might you add or change?

The Social Media Strategy Map and Worksheet

1. Identify Objectives

* What do you want to accomplish with social media?
* Now, restate your objective so it is “SMART” – specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-based?
* Describe how your social media objective supports or links to a goal your organization’s communications plan?

Set objectives based on a clear understanding of how social media changes the feedback loop between your organization and stakeholders. The key thing that is different with setting a social media objective is that it is not about reaching a mass audience and blasting your message out, it is more about reaching the influencers, developing relationships, having a conversation, and getting insights. Make your objectives “SMART” (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-Bound)

* Listening and Learning: You’re monitoring what stakeholders are saying about your organization, your issue, or programs and using the information to support your marketing goals. You’re testing different social media tactics and learning what works.
* Build Relationships and Issues Awareness: You’re interacting with key audiences on the social media channel in order to build awareness for your organization’s brand. You’re increasing your visibility in the right areas and trying to stick in the minds of others through active interaction on many different levels.
* Improve Reputation: You want to improve how others think about your organization or issue and are responding directly to feedback through social media channels. You may also want to improve your organization’s reputation as an expert by being consistently involved in discussions on topics or aggregating information that are relevant to your organization.
* Content Generation and Issues Awareness: You encourage stakeholders to create content about your organization or it’s issues and share it with others and encouraging fans to talk about your issues to others (word of mouth).
* Increased Relevant Visitor Traffic and Page Rankings: You’re using social media tactics to drive traffic to your organization’s web site or newsletter sign up or improving search engine results or using social media channels to spread your web site or blog content.
* Taking Action or Fundraising: You’re using social media tactics to spur supporters to action or donate. Remember this objective will take considerable more time and effort to be successful.

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