The social marketing compass

This week I dove deeper into Engage by Brian Solis, another book our social media class is reading and discussing. Chapter 21, entitled “Creating your Social Media Plan,” really jumped out at me. The chapter was centered on a concept called the Social Marketing Compass. Its function, as described by Solis, “points a brand in a physical and experiential direction to genuinely and effectively connect with customers, peers and influencers where they interact and seek guidance online.” The following diagram is included in our book:

The more I read about the process of using social media and online public relations techniques to promote an organization or campaign, the more I realize the overwhelming importance of a brand. A brand encompasses all the things that make an organization or product unique: an image, a voice, a feeling, an emotion. All of these elements provide a solid foundation that can draw a customer in and create a personal attachment.

The importance of a brand is truly expressed by the social media compass; by placing the brand at the middle, it reminds practitioners designing public relations campaigns that all decisions should always be made with the brand in mind. Once you have a strong grasp on the brand, you can expand outward, deciding what audience to target, which social media tools will resonate most with that audience, and how they will emotionally react to your message.

Solis’s diagram provides a unique, fresh perspective on a social media plan- a perspective all practitioners should consider!