Chapter 2

Social Media Marketing Strategy

 Learning Objectives
• Where does social media marketing fit into an
organization’s overall planning framework?
• What are the phases of social media marketing maturity?
• What are the steps in social media marketing planning?
• How can organizations structure themselves to support
social media marketing?
• What are the key components of an organizational social
media policy?

Social Media Marketing, 2e © Tracy L. Tuten and Michael R. Solomon 2015

Honda’s #Pintermission Campaign

© Jennifer Chong
Social Media Marketing, 2e © Tracy L. Tuten and Michael R. Solomon 2015
Where Does SMM Planning Fit?
 Business plan >
 Marketing plan >
 IMC plan >
 SMM plan
 Plans are blueprints for marketing strategy
formulation and implementation.
 The plan serves as a road map to guide the firm,
allocate resources, and make decisions.

Social Media Marketing, 2e © Tracy L. Tuten and Michael R. Solomon 2015

Stages of Social Media Marketing
Maturity
Trial
Phase

Transition
Phase

Strategic
Phase
Social Media Marketing, 2e © Tracy L. Tuten and Michael R. Solomon 2015
A “Dark Side” Discussion: HMV
• HMV’s story exemplifies
risks associated with the
trial phase.
• What do you see as the
pros and cons of using
interns to execute on
social media plans?

Social Media Marketing, 2e © Tracy L. Tuten and Michael R. Solomon 2015

What are the Steps in Social
Media Marketing Planning?
• Conduct a situation analysis
• State objectives
• Gather target audience insight
• Select social zones and vehicles
• Create an experience strategy
• Establish an activation plan
• Execute and measure campaign
Social Media Marketing, 2e © Tracy L. Tuten and Michael R. Solomon 2015
 Things to Keep in Mind:
A Plan __________.
• Tells a story
• Identifies the characters, place and time
• Tells how current situation came to be
• Defines what must happen for a good outcome
• Establishes challenges and what must be done to overcome
them
• Clarifies the desired outcome
• Specifies measures of success (metrics!)

Social Media Marketing, 2e © Tracy L. Tuten and Michael R. Solomon 2015

Good Plan Characteristics
• Understand the marketplace
• Establish clear measurable objectives
• Define performance targets
• Identify a customer group
• Explain what customers want
• Develop strategies tied to objectives (4 Ps)
• Include measurement plan

Social Media Marketing, 2e © Tracy L. Tuten and Michael R. Solomon 2015

Step 1: Situation Analysis
• Review the firm’s environmental and SWOT
analyses.
• Review the existing marketing plan and any other
information that can be obtained about the
company and its brands.
• Review the firm’s objectives, strategies, and
performance metrics.

Social Media Marketing, 2e © Tracy L. Tuten and Michael R. Solomon 2015

 Situation Analysis
• Are there linkages between direct strategy and social?
• What activities can be tied to social media?
• What resources can be directed to social?
• Is the organization prepared for social?
• Who are our customers? Are they social users?
• Who are our competitors? What social media activities
are they using?
• What key trends may affect our decisions?

Social Media Marketing, 2e © Tracy L. Tuten and Michael R. Solomon 2015

Table 2.3 Honda’s Social Media
SWOT Analysis

Social Media Marketing, 2e © Tracy L. Tuten and Michael R. Solomon 2015

Step 2: Objectives and
Budgeting
• Task (what is to be accomplished)
• Measurable quantity (how much)
• Time frame (by when)

Social Media Marketing, 2e © Tracy L. Tuten and Michael R. Solomon 2015

Objectives and Metrics
• Ensure accountability
• Demonstrate financial contribution of
marketing efforts
• Help us to work smarter and more
efficiently

Social Media Marketing, 2e © Tracy L. Tuten and Michael R. Solomon 2015

Develop SMART objectives
• Specific
• Measureable
• Action-oriented
• Realistic
• Time-lined

Social Media Marketing, 2e © Tracy L. Tuten and Michael R. Solomon 2015

 Sample Objectives
• Increase market share
• Increase the number of comments on a blog
• Increase sales revenue
• Reduce costs
• Achieve branding goals
• Increase database size
• Achieve customer relationship management goals
• Improve supply chain management
Social Media Marketing, 2e © Tracy L. Tuten and Michael R. Solomon 2015
Social Media Marketing Objectives

Social Media Marketing, 2e © Tracy L. Tuten and Michael R. Solomon 2015

 Step 3: Gather Target
Audience Insight (Social Media
Profile)
• Which segments should we select to target?
• In which zones and communities do they
participate?
• How do they use social media?
• What is important to them?

Social Media Marketing, 2e © Tracy L. Tuten and Michael R. Solomon 2015

Step 4: Select Social Zones
• Considering our objectives, budget, overall
direct strategy and segment insight, which
zones should be used and how?
– Social relationship
– Social publishing
– Social entertainment
– Social commerce

Social Media Marketing, 2e © Tracy L. Tuten and Michael R. Solomon 2015

 Figure 2.1: Honda’s Zones

Social Media Marketing, 2e © Tracy L. Tuten and Michael R. Solomon 2015

 Step 5: Developing an
Experience Strategy
• Development of Creative Message Strategy – Creative approach
throughout the campaign which should flow from the positioning
statement.
• Message strategy is developed from a Creative Belief – A document that
help creative channels their energy toward a sound solution for the
brand.
• Creative Belief is also known as Experience Belief due to interactive
experiences, social sharing and engagement.

Social Media Marketing, 2e © Tracy L. Tuten and Michael R. Solomon 2015

 Step 5: Developing an
Experience Strategy
• What are the campaign goals and/or communication tasks? Here the
planner reviews these decisions and provides a succinct overview of the
goals.
• What is unique and special about the brand’s position in the
marketplace? Campaign work should leverage the brand’s positioning
strategy.
• Who is the target audience? What do you want the audience to do? Do
you want them to talk to the brand? Create and share content?
• Is there another group of people who can persuade the target audience
to follow them? This group is your influencers. Why would these people
want to share your message with others? What‘s in it for them?

Social Media Marketing, 2e © Tracy L. Tuten and Michael R. Solomon 2015

 Developing an Experience
Strategy (2)
• What are the existing creative assets? How can the brand’s creative
foster a social experience and be repurposed for social?
• How can we integrate with other branded media being used by the
organization, and how long do we have to execute?
• What experiences are possible given target market needs and motives,
the available channels, and the creative assets? How can we design
these experiences to maximize device portability and access?
• What content will be needed? Comments? Questions and polls? Video?
Images? Stories? Apps?
• How will experience engagement be extended and shared throughout
the social channels?
Social Media Marketing, 2e © Tracy L. Tuten and Michael R. Solomon 2015
The Honda SMM Experience

Twitter
Humor #Pintermission
on Instagram

Social Media Marketing, 2e © Tracy L. Tuten and Michael R. Solomon 2015

A Bytes to Bucks Discussion:
Metro’s Dumb Ways to Die
• Metro Melbourne’s PSA sought to improve rail safety among young people.
• Three Objectives:
– To promote railway safety among the general public, specifically the
teenage/young adult market
– To decrease the number of railway related deaths by 5% next year
– To connect customers with Metro by showing them that it is a safe and
reliable form of transportation
• How? A social media marketing campaign executed in the zones of Social
Publishing and Social Community
• The experience? A video called ‘Dumb Ways to Die’
• Watch on YouTube
Social Media Marketing, 2e © Tracy L. Tuten and Michael R. Solomon 2015
 Step 6: Activation Plan
• Staffing
• Content
• Time Horizon
• Focus of Objectives
• Benefits to Users
• Measurement

Social Media Marketing, 2e © Tracy L. Tuten and Michael R. Solomon 2015

Step 7: Manage and Measure
• What metrics will allow us to assess effectiveness?
• How will we collect the data to assess?
• Standards of conduct
• Disclosure requirements
• Standards for posting corporate information

Social Media Marketing, 2e © Tracy L. Tuten and Michael R. Solomon 2015

 Social Media Policy

• Companies need to develop, adopt and

publicize a social media policy among
employees.
• A social media policy is a document that
explains the rules and procedures for social
media activity for the organization and
employees.
 Sample SM Policies

Social Media Marketing, 2e © Tracy L. Tuten and Michael R. Solomon 2015

WOMMA Guidelines for SM
Policies

Social Media Marketing, 2e © Tracy L. Tuten and Michael R. Solomon 2015

Organizational Structures for Social
Media Marketing Management

Centralized

Organic

Honeycomb

Coordinated

Dandelion

Social Media Marketing, 2e © Tracy L. Tuten and Michael R. Solomon 2015

 Centralized Structure

Social Media Marketing, 2e © Tracy L. Tuten and Michael R. Solomon 2015

 Organic Structure

Social Media Marketing, 2e © Tracy L. Tuten and Michael R. Solomon 2015

Holistic Honeycomb Structure

Social Media Marketing, 2e © Tracy L. Tuten and Michael R. Solomon 2015

Coordinated Structure

Social Media Marketing, 2e © Tracy L. Tuten and Michael R. Solomon 2015

 Dandelion Structure

Social Media Marketing, 2e © Tracy L. Tuten and Michael R. Solomon 2015

 Managing Social Media
Accounts & Hootsuite Certification

Social Media Marketing, 2e © Tracy L. Tuten and Michael R. Solomon 2015

 Recap and Questions
• Where does social media marketing fit into an
organization’s overall planning framework?
• What are the phases of social media marketing
maturity?
• What are the steps in social media marketing planning?
• How can organizations structure themselves to support
social media marketing?
• What are the key components of an organizational
social media policy?
Social Media Marketing, 2e © Tracy L. Tuten and Michael R. Solomon 2015