Your brand's marketing team and social media strategy clash. How will you align them for success?

First understanding the root causes of the clash ( lack of communication, differing objectives and value evaluation). In my experience, the key is to align both teams around a shared vision of value creation.The focus should be on understanding the value stream (value we are trying to deliver to the customer). By putting ourselves in the customers' shoes, we can define the common value that we aim to produce. This value should become the compass for any strategy, guiding both the marketing and social media teams in the same direction. Once both sides are aligned on delivering this value, the specific tools, methods, objs of each team will naturally follow suit.

To have them align in the marketing team and the social media strategy, first look at what causes misalignment. These include bad communication or inconsistency in aims. It will call for enabling open communication so that both parties appreciate one another's standpoint as they share updates from one another. Share common objectives that align well with higher-order brand objectives and have the same KPIs related to marketing objectives and outcomes through social media for everyone's efforts to be laser-focused on a single measurable outcome. The teamwork-oriented approach also does its magic by bringing synergy and elevating effectiveness in the process.

Start by conducting a thorough assessment of where the misalignment occurs. Is it a difference in messaging, target audience, or campaign objectives? By identifying the root causes, you can address the issues head-on.

Alinear el equipo de marketing con la estrategia de redes sociales implica crear sinergia entre sus objetivos, procesos y métricas. La clave del éxito está en fomentar la colaboración, establecer metas claras y cohesionar la comunicación de marca en todos los puntos de contacto con el cliente. Si ambos equipos entienden su interdependencia y trabajan hacia un mismo fin, lograrán una estrategia de marketing mucho más efectiva y coherente.

Create a Unified Brand Vision First Bring both teams together to define and agree on a clear brand vision. Encourage Honest Communication Create regular meetings between marketing and social media teams to discuss upcoming campaigns, content ideas, and performance metrics. Define Clear Roles and Responsibilities Clearly outline the responsibilities of the marketing team and the social media team (execution, engagement, content creation). Coordinated Campaign Organising Involve both teams in the early stages of campaign planning, ensuring that social media is an integral part of the overall marketing strategy. Use Data for Decision Making Regularly review social media analytics and marketing performance metrics together.

When a brand’s marketing team and social media strategy clash, it often from a misalignment in goals, messaging, or execution. This disconnect can dilute the brand’s voice, confuse the audience, and ultimately impact growth. Start by identifying common objectives that both the marketing team and social media strategy should achieve.

Shared and measurable objectives are to be defined for both marketing and social media teams. Be it brand awareness, lead generation, or customer engagement, both teams should contribute toward the same KPIs.

Set common goals by aligning the marketing team and social media strategy around shared objectives. Define clear, measurable targets that both teams can work towards, ensuring that social media efforts support the broader marketing goals and foster a unified approach.

Establish shared objectives for the marketing and social media teams to rally behind. Whether increasing brand awareness, driving conversions, or enhancing customer engagement, having a unified direction ensures that everyone is working towards the same outcomes.

To align strategies, set shared goals that align with business objectives. Create SMART goals and a shared vision to ensure consistency and effective collaboration.

As soon as both the teams are aligned in each others priorities and projects, the communication should be gathered weekly or project based and given to each teams managers so that the managers of both the teams can also discuss and checkup on the progress as well as blockers.

1. Implement a weekly "marketing sync" where we review upcoming product features and align messaging across all channels 2. Set up a dedicated Slack or other corporate communication channel for real-time collaboration between marketing and social media teams 3. Introduce a monthly "strategy showcase" where teams present their initiatives and receive cross-functional input

Enhance communication by establishing regular meetings and updates between the marketing team and social media managers. Ensure clear, open lines of communication to address any issues promptly and keep both teams informed about strategy changes and progress.

Regular and open communication between the marketing and social media teams is essential. Schedule weekly or bi-weekly meetings to discuss ongoing campaigns, upcoming projects, and any challenges. This fosters collaboration and ensures that both teams are on the same page.

To improve collaboration, foster open communication between marketing and social media teams. Encourage regular meetings, share information, and provide feedback to ensure alignment and avoid misunderstandings.

Integrating the marketing strategy with the social media communication strategy is essential for a strong market presence. This integration allows to be more sutil but with a impactful interaction with consumers, stimulating the audience's subconscious and building a robust narrative for the company. It ensures consistency in communication, leading to greater brand recognition and customer loyalty. Furthermore, an integrated strategy optimizes marketing resources and efforts, all working towards the same goals.

Integrate strategies by aligning social media tactics with the overall marketing plan. Ensure that social media campaigns complement broader marketing initiatives and leverage cross-channel insights to create a cohesive approach that drives unified brand messaging and goals.

Ensure that the social media strategy is not an afterthought but an integral part of the overall marketing plan. Both teams should work together during the planning phase to ensure that social media efforts are aligned with broader marketing initiatives, reinforcing key messages across all channels.

By integrating your marketing and social media strategies from the start, you can create a more cohesive and engaging brand experience for your audience. Plus, you can optimize your resources and maximize the return on your marketing investment.

Creation of content should be collaborative to ensure consistency across all platforms. Messaging from a marketing team should match the content on social media to keep a consistent brand voice and to tell a single story.

Investing in training for a brand's social media team is essential. It's easy to overlook the latest updates and trends on various platforms, which can lead to strategies that fall flat. Additionally, different departments within an organization often fail to recognize their role in supporting the brand's online presence, leading to missed opportunities for cohesive branding. To foster collaboration and ensure seamless integration with the social media team, it's critical to equip these departments with the necessary knowledge. By doing so, they can actively contribute, enhance the team's efforts, and drive better results for the brand.

Provide training by offering workshops or resources that help both teams understand the latest social media trends, tools, and best practices. Equip them with the skills needed to execute strategies effectively and ensure alignment with overall marketing objectives.

Equip both teams with the necessary skills and knowledge. For the marketing team, this might mean understanding social media trends and analytics. For the social media team, it could involve learning more about traditional marketing principles. Cross-training helps bridge the gap and fosters a more integrated approach.

Arrange and lead workshops or brainstorming sessions where the two teams can share ideas and collaboratively develop strategies. This will create a culture in which teamwork will be promoted and nurtured, and both teams will feel aligned with the brand's direction.

Let’s get real: if your marketing and social media teams are clashing, a lot of that comes down to a lack of understanding of what the other does. So what do you do? You provide training—cross-training. Get each side into the trenches of the other’s world. Let marketing learn the fast-paced, engagement-driven grind of social, and let social get a look at the big-picture strategies marketing is pulling together. It’s not just about enhancing skills—it’s about building empathy, respect, and a collaborative spirit. When your teams understand each other, they stop working against each other and start driving your brand’s success together. That’s how you create unity and a stronger front across all platforms.

Monitor and adapt by regularly tracking performance metrics and feedback from both the marketing team and social media channels. Use this data to adjust strategies as needed, ensuring ongoing alignment and optimization of efforts for better results.

Finally, continuously monitor the effectiveness of your integrated strategy. Use analytics and feedback to assess what’s working and where improvements are needed. Be ready to adapt and refine your approach as market conditions and consumer behaviors evolve.

Every campaign must be built through a social-first lens. Your marketing strategy is your social media strategy. Where does majority of your external communication sit and what drives most of your revenue (that can actually be tracked?). There’s a certain amount of un-branding that takes place on a socials. Sticking to brand guidelines and look and feel EVERY SINGLE TIME is dangerous for your social growth and it can already stunt ideas and the ability to adapt. I mean really- there’s a social handle next to your posts. We know which brand it’s coming from 🙄. The logo does not HAVE to be in the same place every single time just because it’s in your CI.

Social media trends change fast so make sure the marketing team can tweak their plans based on what's happening right now on social platforms. At the same time, the social media team needs to work the company's long-term brand goals into their day-to-day work.

Once you’ve got your marketing and social media teams aligned, you can’t just set it and forget it. You’ve got to monitor and adapt. Use those analytics tools—track everything. Engagement, reach, conversions—whatever KPIs matter most to your brand. But here’s the kicker: review those metrics together with both teams. You need eyes on the same data, figuring out what’s hitting the mark and what’s falling flat. And don’t be afraid to pivot. If something’s not working, adapt your strategy fast. In this ever-changing digital world, staying flexible and responsive keeps your brand not just relevant, but ahead of the game. That’s how you stay sharp and keep winning.