Ask yourself: What's your goal for using a social network

Do you simply want to increase visibility and awareness of your business in the community?

Are you looking for an easy way to bring staff and customer experiences together online?

Will you use these channels to advertise new services, changes to your organization, possibly replacing some of the costs of mailings?

Knowing why you want to engage potential customers online will help determine which platform you should choose. For example, Facebook is great for creating a community where you can post events, pictures and video, while Twitter is ideal for reaching news outlets and increasing the visibility of your products and services. Don't forget recruitment: LinkedIn offers a credible way to browse job candidates and post openings.

Follow these tips to develop a strategic social media plan that's right for your business or organization.

Take an inventory of your organization's Web site
How often is it updated and what type of information do you post? What do customers and staff use it for? Often, they would be just as likely to look for the same information on your social network.

If you already house most of your organization's information on your Web site, consider using social media as a tease to drive traffic back to your site. Over time, you'll notice your social networks will begin to show up as referrals in your Web site's analytics.

Know your audience
Which social network do most of your customers use? Consider polling them, either on your Web site or in your office. Remember that younger members are often more familiar and more likely to be on social networks. Enlist them as your champions by encouraging them to join.

Educate your customers about engaging with you in the social network
So you have 500 fans on your Facebook page, but nobody's talking. Or maybe your customers don't understand the value of connecting with you on Twitter. Communicate what they can expect to see when they join your networks – whether it's office closures, notices about products and services or party pics from your last event. Great ways to promote the social media that you already use include: your Web site, e-mail communications and signs in your office.

Think beyond text
Pictures, audio, video and presentations are compelling ways to communicate with customers – especially on social networks. If your Web site doesn't currently have that capability, all the better! Facebook has free video creation built-in, while both Facebook and LinkedIn have the SlideShare app, perfect for uploading and easily sharing PowerPoints online.

Step 1:

Fill Out A Questionaire About Your Business