Section 2: Crafting Your Strategy

 

Chapter 5: Understanding the Competitive Environment

• Stage 1: Facts – Collect relevant facts

• Stage 2: Anchors – Isolate the essential analytical anchors implied by the facts

• Stage 3: Judgments – Make judgments based on the analytical anchors

• Stage 4: Validation – Validate your judgments

• Conclusion

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Chapter 6: Coordinates

• Characteristics of Superior Coordinates

  • Superior coordinates represent tough, “big-picture” choices about what to do and what not to do

  • Superior coordinates enrich one another

  • Superior coordinates robustly define the operating space

• Principles for Formulating Coordinates

  • Respect the “unequal dialogue” in your organization

  • “Don’t fight the last war”

  • Know when to play offense, defense, and use special teams

• A Discussion Protocol for Crafting Coordinates

  • Review your competitive analysis and seek out hidden connections

  • Construct a “brain-prodding” chart

  • Discover clusters of goals or pods of insights

  • Label and evaluate the pods

  • Determine how the goals could be linked together to accomplish something unique and spectacular

• Conclusion

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Chapter 7: Channels

• Channel Dynamics

  • Channels connect senders and receivers

  • Each channel has a unique capacity to transmit particular types of signals

  • Channels cultivate unique conventions, customs, and norms

• Principles for Selecting Channels

  • Select platforms that sync with your coordinates and your target audiences’ preferences

  • Consider niche-like platforms that may serve your needs

  • Select platforms that you can master on a tactical level

• Strategic Channel Selection

  • Systemically study a wide variety of potential social media platforms

  • Evaluate and select the platforms for active and passive management

  • Craft a “job description” for each channel

  • Bundle the channel “duties” into manageable jobs for your social media team

  • Assign the right person or team to the tasks

• Conclusion

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Chapter 8: Content

• What Are My Content Options?

• Who Generates the Content?

  • Internally-produced content

  • Curated content

  • Co-created content

  • User-generated content

• How do I Select the Right Content?

  • Coordinate aligned

  • Audience sensitive

  • Channel compatible

  • Category apportioned

  • Feedback driven

• Conclusion

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Chapter 9: Connections

• Understanding Connectivity

  • Nodes

  • Links

    • Direction

    • Capacity

    • Volume

• Networks

  • Hubs

  • Hinges

  • Path length

• Connection Principles

  • The pattern of connections (network) is more important than the strength of individual components (nodes)

  • There are tradeoffs associated with every type of network

  • Networks have both structural and emergent properties

• Connections Matrix

• Crafting Network Strategy

  • Identify a broad range of nodes and links

  • Map out and evaluate your existing network structure

  • Mix and match your connection strategies

  • Develop the skills and commitments to match your connection strategies

  • Judge effectiveness based on the strategy employed and the ease of reaching “bullseye nodes”

• Conclusion

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Chapter 10: Corrections

• Sources of Errors

  • Attention

  • Speed

  • Habits

  • Thinking biases

  • Organizational structures, procedures and protocols

• Corrections Matrix

  • Minor oversight

  • Modest gaffe

  • Missed opportunity

  • Major blunder

• So What?

  • Detect patterns of errors

  • Build an eagle-eyed radar screen

  • Augment your radar screen by recruiting and maintaining your own friendly spy network

  • Build an experimental lab

  • Determine what type of corrective action to take

  • Set up a regular assessment process

• Conclusion

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Chapter 11: Syncing the Strategy Dots and Crafting Action Plans

• Test 1: The Coordinate Test (note: the following questions apply to a specific example)

  • Will the selected channels increase your target audience’s attendance at your event?

  • Will your content choices increase your target audience’s attendance at your event?

  • Will your connection choices increase your target audience’s attendance at your event?

  • Will your correction plan increase your target audience’s attendance at your event?

• Test 2: The Synergy Test

  • Are the channels aligned with your message choices?

  • Are the channels aligned with your connection decisions?

  • Are the channels aligned with your correction plan?

  • Are the message choices aligned with your connection decisions?

  • Are the message choices aligned with your correction decisions?

  • Are the connection decisions aligned with our correction plan?

• Test 3: The Translation Test

• Test-Taking Advice

  • Don’t assume that because you passed test 1 that you will ace test 2

  • Solicit the opinions and insights of others

  • Expect imperfections

• Conclusion