What is your “Little Pink Spoon?”

“How does Baskin Robbins get you into the door,” asked Lisa Ann Landry. “Do they give away a gallon of ice cream? No! But will they let you eat a gallon’s worth of ice cream in samples off of those little pink spoons that they keep in buckets on the counter? Yes! So, as a small business, what is your little pink spoon?”

What is your social media strategy? What is the niche that you are offering enticing samples of via social media?

What is your pink spoon?

 

Social Media is a Marketing Strategy. Strategy as defined by the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary is “a careful plan or method : a clever stratagem b : the art of devising or employing plans or stratagems toward a goal.”

Well, where do you begin with this careful plan? Luckily for you, I have all the steps you need to follow, thanks to the Fred Pryor/Career Track’s Social Media Marketing Conference seminar that I attended this week.

In Session Two of the Conference, we discussed the Elements of a Marketing Strategy. (Bear with me, there are 13, but they will keep you on point for your plan!)

Ask Yourself:

1. What is the goal?

2. What business am I in?

3. What is the mission, vision, and value?

4. Who are my competitors? (Choose 3-5 realistic competitors of the same scale as your business.)

5. Who is the target audience?

6. What is your strategy?

7. What outlets will you use?

8. What is the cost?

9. How will I measure my ROI?

10. What is my contingency or backup plan?

11. Who will implement it?

12. Who is responsible for it?

13. Invest your time in it.

Most importantly remember to be SMART with your goals.

  S – Specific

     M – Measurable

          A – Attainable

              R – Realistic

                   T – Tangible

Social Media is NOT about sales. (Hard to believe right? I know.)

It was originally created to get information, to share information, and for entertainment. If you think about it, businesses had no stake in social media at its creation. However, businesses effectively adapted to the opportunity to promote their branding, vision, and products.

Social  media is an opportunity to offer a sample off of your little pink spoon. (You thought I forgot all about the pink spoons, didn’t you?) It can generate leads and drive consumers to your  brand-awareness, but it is not for spammy sales ploys. It is for building relationships and a community around your business!

So, what do you have to offer as your pink sample spoon? Think about it. Meditate on it. Then act on it by inviting your fans to share in it with you.