What should a brand's Social Media Objective be?

Well, we seem to be dealing with this "O" word almost everyday.

All our discussions, presentations, finalizations, proposals and agreements contain the O word. But, Objective in terms of a brand is often misconstrued for Goals. Yes, there is a difference, and it’s quite a large one.

What is an Objective?

As a person, my objective in life is to- well, LIVE! My goals could be varied - getting a high-paying job, marrying, starting a family; retiring young, dying rich - you get me, right?

What should a brand's Social Media Objective be?

Now, in the case of a brand going social, I come across brand managers struggling with different objectives - driving traffic to one's website, generating quality leads, having a target of xxxx fans etc

All of the above are most absolutely correct - except that none of them are Objectives to kick-start a Social Media Marketing exercise for one's brand. These are all Goals that one must aspire to achieve by setting the right objective.

So now the question, "What should a brand's social media Objective be?"

Well, it’s quite simple - Brand Awareness

By choosing to use Social Networks, as a brand, you must aspire to be "known" among the people present there. That your name must garner instant recall and help you create an online community of enthusiasts seriously watching your brand.

It is exactly the same objective that is applied to traditional media. Have you ever seen brands asking ad agencies if a 20 second ad insert on Prime Time TV will guarantee them 100,000 new footfalls in their stores? So, why doesn't the same apply to Social Media? In fact, Social Media is far more effective than traditional media if you are running on a tight budget and would yet like to be known in the market, that too, the right market.

So, if you are placing an Ad on Facebook, you don't have to worry whether your laundry-man or local chaiwallah will click/view your ad and waste your money. Unless, of course, they ARE your audience ;)

Therefore, set your objective right!

Focus on creating a good brand presence.

How to do it?

Invest in an agency that understands your brand ethos and works towards projecting the same online. You don't need to give out I-Pads for customers to take notice of you. You'd rather focus on building a community of people who would genuinely like to know more about your Brand. All your goals of quality lead generation, direction of traffic to one's website, achieving a fan-base of xxxx will simply follow!

Photo Courtesy JD Hancock  and Rob Ellis