Traditional and digital media campaigns may need to include social media at its core?! So if you’re creating a social media campaign that is not connected to the rest of your communications like your digital marketing strategy then perhaps its time to rethink it. Social campaigns or strategies can be approached, executed and measured unlike traditional projects, more data is available now than ever. Current standings offer companies the opportunity to connect with potential and existing clients through two-way communications across multiple devices and media. It also enables you to time your messages accordingly. Your content can, should and will be your ad. Is it strong enough to shine through the online clutter? Make sure your teams are connected and working together on the same agreed-upon goals and messages. An aligned and consistent message is the first step to gaining trust and loyalty with potential customers. A simple way to remember the order of importance is: Content is king and media is amplification! Repeat 5 times. As for the goals, ‘volume’ is important, but is not the only one. ‘Engagement’ as a goal can be somewhat vague, so instead identify the most desired social actions and design the user flow and related metrics accordingly. Quick hits are good, but it’s those meaningful experiences that drive long-term relationships, build advocacy and breed loyalty. It’s okay for campaigns to have disparate goals, but there should be an overall guiding principle that governs your efforts. Know your data, its availability and then optimise it with each and every campaign; not just in real-time, but also over the long term.