The Social Media Mix Tape

When I was in college, a friend of mine made the most incredible mix tapes. She had the ear (and the sense of humor) to put Tennessee Ernie Ford right up against The Misfits – and somehow it all worked. When I asked her what the secret was, she humbly revealed, “I do what works.” Now, years later, our group of friends is busy recreating her vintage playlists on both iTunes and LaLa.

To some of us, using social media as a marketing tool may sound like pure cacophony – an unfamiliar tune that has yet to “work” with those we are more accustomed to. What we need is a playlist – a planning tool to not only show how social media can blend into the wider media mix, but also demonstrate its effectiveness in a manner that can be tracked alongside and through other channels.


The next time you’re asked plan a promotion, consider creating the equivalent of your own marketing mix tape by blending social media efforts into the bigger picture. You can start by downloading the Dead Reckoning’s Social Media Promo Calendar Template, and customizing it to track day-by-day activity against your written strategy.


Take into consideration what the objective of your event/promotion/marketing activity IS. Think about organizing your assets by how they function vs. the medium they represent – e.g. outdoor boards and PPC are both forms of paid advertising. Consider using social media to tease your marketing efforts to start and then build and sustain the momentum of your efforts as you move through your calendar.


The result will be a 20,000 ft. view of your plan that factors social media efforts into the mix - making the equivalent of marketing harmony.