Chapter 3: What are the Benefits of a Social Media Strategy?

Summary  •  Outline  •  Study Questions  •  Flashcards  •  Quiz

“Everyone needs a strategy .… Despite the problems of finding ways through the uncertainty and confusion of human affairs, a strategic approach is still considered to be preferable to one that is merely tactical, let along random. Having a strategy suggests an ability to look up from the short term and trivial to view the long term and the essential, to address causes rather than symptoms, to see woods rather than trees. Without a strategy, facing up to any problem or striving for any objective would be considered negligent.”  – Lawrence Freedman

Chapter Summary

Having a sound strategy helps in major ways. For example, it helps guide how to select what scarce resources to employ and how to coordinate them. A sound strategy provides a powerful message that can be used to educate employees in the organization. It positions the message at just the right level of detail or abstraction – it guides but does not dictate actions. And lastly, a sound strategy provides stability during tumultuous times and crises, by narrowing down operational choices into a manageable few during difficult times.

Chapter Outline
  • The Benefits of Strategy
    • A sound strategy helps guide your deployment of scarce resources
    • A sound strategy helps coordinate people and resources
    • A sound strategy provides a powerful message to educate employees in the organization
    • A sound strategy provides stability during tumultuous times and crises
  • Conclusion

 

Chapter Deep Dive Study Questions

These exercises are designed to enhance your understanding of the chapter's key ideas, principles and approaches.

#1
The chapter outlines four major benefits of developing social media strategies. Develop a 4 x 3 grid. In column 1, list the four benefits. In column 2, list a counterargument for each benefit. In column 3, indicate your retort to the counterargument.

#2
List and illustrate three signs that your social media strategy has moved out of the Goldilocks' zone.

#3
Draw diagrams of the: a) "tease and seize" strategy, and b) "assess and respond" strategy. Use your diagrams to point out three major advantages and three disadvantages of each strategy.

Chapter Flashcards

[qdeck] [q] Assess and Respond Strategy
[a] An approach in which you assess posts and respond in an appropriate manner. The responses could range from directly replying to the post to ignoring it.
[q] Tease and Seize Strategy
[a] An approach in which you tease different audiences with several different kinds of posts, monitor the results and then seize the opportunities implied by the feedback.
[q] Goldilocks’ Zone
[a] Positioning the message at just the right level of detail or abstraction — not too much; not too little. The zone is the “sweet spot” that guides but does not dictate actions.
[/qdeck]

 

Chapter Quiz

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