Devise objectives that fit culture to ensure success
Social media is good news for the industry; we just don’t know it yet. Consider this trifecta of change 1) traditional marketing costs are out the window—social marketing media is virtually free 2) social media allows complete control of our messages—publishing our own content, when and where we want, and 3) social media helps us to cultivate relationships en masse—more of your audience will choose to follow you. Fewer will be silently annoyed by the traditional one-way, interruptive methods that characterized sales and advertising tactics of the past. It’s a great day.
Be prepared though, change doesn’t come easy. There are things to do, things to say, and things to decide in order to get the most out of social media marketing. Discuss your rules of engagement as you decide what you expect to get for your investment.
Two critical new steps to follow
This post continues with the Bastard’s series: Plan social media strategies like any other major initiative. Before we get into steps five and six (of seven) let’s review what we’ve covered so far:
Steps one and two examined the importance (and liability) of the transparency required in the social media environment and the potential impact it has on your company’s culture. In step three, I challenged readers to Tap in and listen to the marketplace: knowing what space your current and potential customers already occupy (in the realm of social media) is a huge motivator to get your team fully engaged. Then in step four: Consider your options. I reasoned why you should walk before you run by narrowing the initial social media engagement efforts.
Step Five. Create company policy around social media
Your first policy concern should be aimed directly at protecting the company’s interests and to safeguard it against security breaches, slander and unnecessary law suits. Secondarily you want to ensure that all messages are cohesive and “on brand.” To do this requires the same kind of open conversations that were so important in step one. Remember, if you cannot sustain good conversations internally, how can you expect to master it on the scale of the world-wide-web?
Be realistic about your culture and where your company is in terms of community openness. Be clear about what you do and what the company wants to be. Create guidelines that talk about voice, posting frequency, responses, mistakes and other issues that (will) come up. Employees come and go—this stuff needs to be etched in steel and made part of the human resources handbook.
Step Six. Plot objectives … build community
Discuss with your team what you want from the investment now and in the future. Decide what steps you will need to take to reach those objectives, given the current culture. Wondering what’s possible? Here are some likely considerations:
- Increase awareness of your brand(s), and your value proposition. Do you promote the company or focus on specific product awareness?
- Improve communication with existing customers and prospects. If it’s going to be easier to let them know what you’re doing and what you’re thinking about, what do you say, on an on-going basis, to keep it fresh?
- Qualify fans (prospects) and convert them to customers. Use insight gleaned from social media to further relationships, seal deals. Is there more to learn in this area? Is it worth going after?
- Improve customer satisfaction. Social media creates 2-way communications. You can talk about ways you offer service that goes above and beyond. How will you respond to customers who second that action and want to tell the world in the process?
- Finally. Your team should devise ways to build your online community. The Bastard, in future posts, will be talking a lot more about this one. For now, think in terms of creating and maintaining Credibility, with a big “C”. How will you go about building your brand’s online reputation?
One last word on the subject of building online communities. Be patient. Know that in this world there are joke tellers and then there are listeners. We need both.
Much to discuss further, send me your comments or questions.