Be the consumer… 3 things to remember when sharing content

Share interesting, informative and/or creative content. When not pushing out content, stay engaged with your network.

This should go without saying but too often organizations, ‘dipping a toe in the water’, have the wrong idea about social media.

It’s not anyone’s fault – it’s just the way we’ve been conditioned. Because advertising makes sense to us, we sometimes treat social media as just another vehicle for self-promotion.

“Okay, so the website has flash, we have the billboard up, we bought ad space in the paper; and now it’s time to advertise on social media.”

Right? Wrong.

As we’ve said countless times, social media is for engagement, discussion, thought leadership, service, lead generation, community management, research and reaching a new demographic. Self-promotion is not on that list.

That said, here are a few tips to keep people engaged and make your ‘toe-dipping’ adventures successful.

1. Be the consumer: Before posting anything, ask yourself this: if you didn’t work for brand XYZ, would you read this? If the content is not creative, insightful, entertaining or educational, it’s not useful.

2. Be personal when sharing content: Use I, we and us when engaging and sharing. You’re not writing a press release when you tweet, blog, update, etc. Keep it light and personal.    

3. Stop pushing… engage and pull: Sharing news about your company is important, but it shouldn’t comprise more than 20% of your social efforts. Instead – ask questions, engage, and pull people into conversations rather than just pushing content out.

Have fun, make friends and enjoy the social space.

Every employee is a brand ambassador - train them!

Most organizations, whether they’re strictly ‘listening’ or ‘engaging’, are becoming more and more comfortable with the ‘once-terrifying’ world of social media. Many have developed plans, purchased monitoring solutions and hired social media managers. And others are not too far behind.

Organizations have dipped their toe in and are ready for the next step…

But, as organizations have become more comfortable with social media, so have their employees.  Unfortunately however, not all employees have dedicated the same time and resources that their employers have when it comes to social media.

More specifically, employees have jumped in out of curiosity or fun on their own time. They haven’t developed contingency plans, or studied best practices for twitter. They partake in the space on their own time and don’t pretend to be a corporate spokesperson on their Facebook page. (or at least they shouldn’t be - that job is for the social media team.) They may or may not be disclosing information about their place of work and that’s their decision.

There aren’t rigid restrictions for recreational social media use – which is far different than corporate social media.

Okay…..? So what does this all mean?

Your employees aren’t only employees between 9 – 5. They go home and tweet, blog, post, like, comment, pin, etc. at their leisure. And when they do, they still represent your organization in some form or another. They are constant brand ambassadors.

That said, it doesn’t matter how good your social media team is because, ultimately, the social media managers/reps are not the only ones representing your brand online.

So what do you do? After all, you can’t stop employees from partaking in social media activities on their own time.

1. Train them.

- Setup a “best practices” lunch and learn.

- Teach them how to deal with negativity.

- Conduct exercises on social media etiquette.

2. Let them know they are constant brand ambassadors.

- Encourage them!

- Give them a list of Do’s, not Don’ts.

- Make sure they know why you hired a social media team. (Employees are ambassadors, but not corporate account holders. Stress that.)

3. Develop a social media policy for employees.

- “If you choose to speak about the organization, please disclose that you are an employee and that your opinions do not necessarily reflect those of your employers.”

(shoot me a message if you’d like to speak more on creating this for your organization.)

What do you think? Can you add any tips?

5 Predictions for Social Media in 2012

As we enter the first week of 2012, let’s take a moment to think about what the coming 12 months may look like for the world of social media… or more appropriately, social business.

1.     Smarter analytics/ measurement

2012 will see a growth of social media measurement and analytics tools. By growth, we mean in acceptance and influence as well as in numbers. What will separate the players will be the ability to provide insight into the measurement. Capturing mentions and hits is one thing, but calculating sentiment, trends and demographics will be deemed necessary. Reporting what happened is good, but answering what it means will be even more important. Soon, we will even see trend forecasting, not just trend reporting. (proactive vs. reactive measurement.)

2.     Content is king… and joker

As more organizations develop content strategies and pay more attention to creating content, we will see both ends of the spectrum. Some organizations will create some great material, while others in an attempt to ‘keep up with the Joneses’ will miss the mark. But, in each failed attempt at creating good content, organizations will learn from their mistakes and get better. Social media is still new and we need to allow for a learning curve (2012 falls somewhere in the middle of this curve.)

3.     Diversification of social efforts

Twitter and Facebook will still occupy the top spots in 2012, but that doesn’t mean that new, innovative and exciting tools won’t see success. With mobile’s unprecedented growth in the last few years, we will see more mobile-only apps commanding much attention in 2012. There will still be more fragmentation than consolidation in 2012.  What that means is that organizations with strong social IQ will recognize the niche tools and meet their consumers on the most appropriate channels. Expect Instagram and Pinterest to command even more attention than they’ve experienced in the last half of 2011.

4.     Less customer service slipups

Since some of the first slipups on Twitter and Facebook were recorded, organizations everywhere invested in contingency and emergency plans and placed them in their social media policies (where they belong.) Then, they invested in smart, young talent to help them craft their social identities online. Both the plans and the talent will prove to be smart decisions for most organizations in 2012. Expect less slipups. Some organizations are even implementing things like a talent management system to help recruit this new generation into their workforce.

5.     Everyone gets on board

In 2011 we saw a surge in businesses jumping on the social media train and 2012 will be no different. Businesses that were once skeptical of social media, can’t scoff anymore at its ability to reach consumers everywhere. Expect everyone to be online, at least in some capacity, in the coming months.

Near the end of 2012, we will revisit these predications and make a few more.

Have we missed anything? What do you predict?

Proper Community Management - 3 tools in the kit

We’ve heard the social media horror stories. Community managers who take too many liberties with their messaging and organizations without a strong enough presence to dispel misinformation online are two of the most common forms.

The latter requires a digital overhaul – one that may include: a digital audit, social media strategy, listening tools, a CRM system and a dedicated (and properly trained) community manager. (More on this ‘digital overhaul’ in future posts)

For now, let’s talk about the first form of bad brand management.

Hiring a community manager is tough work. You need to find someone who is passionate about social media, a good communicator, creative, flexible, quick learning, level headed, confidant…. And has institutional knowledge (they understand the company, its values, its core principles, hot-button issues, etc.)

Finding someone with all of this can be difficult (especially the institutional knowledge). So how do you go about it?

Find someone with all the skills and then teach them about the business. And finally, equip them with the proper tools to do their job right.

Here’s what should be in every community manager’s toolkit:

1. Response assessment plan/tree

Comments and posts can be broken down into several different categories. Give your community manager a proper breakdown of each ‘type’ of comment so that they know how to classify and handle each of them.

Have a plan of action for each ‘type’ of comment/post, once it’s been evaluated. What key messages should be used for each type of comment, and issue?

For example, an ‘unhappy consumer’ can be engaged with a simple: “Hi ….., I’m sorry you feel that way, is there anything I can do to help? My name is ……”

Evaluate Statement 

 Positive                                               Negative

 Spam?                                                    Spam?

 Happy consumer?                                  Troll?

                                                                Misinformed?

                                                                Unhappy consumer?

*this is only an example; a proper response assessment tree is much more extensive.

Once you establish the sentiment and type of comment/post, you can craft key messages for each individual issue mentioned.

     2. Key messages

You wouldn’t send a CEO up on stage without giving him or her some key messages on a variety of topics. So don’t send a community manager out there without some proper talking points. Your community manager should know the hot-button issues surrounding your organization and be ready to deliver the right messages.

A good community manager’s messages never seem canned – this comes from their creativity and good communication skills. (Hire for the skill, give them the knowledge.)

     3.Contingency plan

Not all comments can be dealt with easily with the response assessment tree (or whatever you wish to call it). So, create an advisory board for the community manager to use when facing the tricky comments and posts.

The community manager can handle ‘code yellow’ comments/posts, but who should they turn to for the ‘code red’ ones? Or, what should they say in these situations?

That’s up to you to decide. If you lay it out, and equip them with these tools, you’re well on your way to keeping your community properly managed.

What else do you think a community manager needs?

AB Social Media Solutions – The importance of having a content plan

Most agree that creating a social media strategy is one of the most important things you can do before getting started in social media. And to be honest, it is.

But there is one important piece to a social media strategy that people and businesses tend to overlook. That important piece? A content plan.

It’s one thing to define your audiences, outline your objectives and choose your tactics, but if you haven’t addressed content, you haven’t completed your strategy.

You’ve heard the expression before – content is king. If you don’t have engaging, interesting and/or enlightening material, it won’t matter how comprehensive your strategy is.

So what do you do?

Before getting started with your social media efforts, develop content that will carry your efforts forward for at least a month in advance. After the month, be ready with your second set of material. Write a block of blog posts, tweets, Facebook posts, LinkedIn updates, etc. and then stagger the dissemination of this material for the upcoming days, weeks and months. Doing this will ensure you always have content and a presence in all the forums you outlined in your strategy.

Too many people and businesses start a blog and update it frequently for the first few weeks. Then, they lose steam and their content gets stale. By scheduling your material, you’ll be able to keep things fresh and keep your presence consistent.

There are a few things to consider when creating a content strategy:

1.       Consistency – How often do you want to post product or company-related material? By keeping your material spaced out in a consistent fashion, it will be easier for your fan base to stay engaged.

2.       Relevance – Develop material that meshes well with the time of year or season, for your business or just in general. Think: back-to-school, Halloween, first week of winter, Christmas, BBQ season, product launches, government announcements, etc. etc. (these are just examples and may be irrelevant for your company, but note the formula and adjust accordingly.) Your product/service line-up will help you determine when you should post content.

3.       Be flexible – Don’t be afraid to deviate from the plan. If something important comes up, you can always postpone a planned update and address the current situation.

Always approach content from an outside-in perspective – ask yourself: does this content provide value to your customers/readers? Is the content interesting? Will people want to visit your website, blog, page, etc.?

One last thing, just because you have pre-planned content doesn’t mean you should stop engaging with your followers and fans on a day-to-day basis. Work-in personal tweets and updates and always be there to answer questions.

What are your thoughts on pre-planned content?

Enhancing your brand’s image on Twitter - 5 step checklist

Twitter has become one of the best online tools for companies looking to build and enhance a positive brand image.

But signing up for a Twitter account and sending Tweets that only link to your press releases or photo gallery doesn’t mean you’re using Twitter properly. Sure, you may have 500 or more followers and you appear to be active in the space, but there is more to positive digital posturing than just reiterating messages from your website.

So how should you use Twitter to enhance your brand’s image?

Here are 5 steps to help ensure your Twitter efforts are helping enhance your brand’s image and reputation. Just follow these (in this order) and you’ll be well on your way.

1.     Listen – Even before you start Tweeting, be sure to search for mentions of your brand and issues related to your industry. You may be surprised to see that not everyone loves your brand and/or your products. Listen to the conversations and then set up a spreadsheet that addresses all the different opinions people have towards your brand or company.

2.       Learn – After listening, you can start developing Tweets that address concerns or reiterate positive sentiment. If there are unanimous concerns about your brand or company, develop Tweets that answer questions and help you shape or reshape your brand’s image.

3.       Address and connect – Now you can start connecting. Address the concerns and praise your brand ambassadors. Send Tweets that answer questions and address concerns. You can even direct users to pages on your website that provide information on the products and services in question. Show the world that your brand is listening and ready to connect, publicly. People like being thanked on Twitter. Send ‘kudos’ Tweets and show your appreciation for those who invest time talking about your brand. Turn negative sentiment into positive connections.

4.       Monitor – After a few weeks of engaging on Twitter, monitor and analyze the new conversations about your brand. Has negative sentiment changed? Have people started talking positively about your brand? How successful were your efforts? Return to your original spreadsheet and input the new data. Keep a record of your efforts. This will help prove value and keep you on track.

5.       Repeat - Learn from the first round and continue connecting.

Following these tips/steps will help build a positive brand image and let you achieve your outlined objectives (whatever they may be).

What do you think? How do you evaluate your brand’s image?

How to get C-Suite buy-in for your social media plan

This week, I was fortunate enough to speak to an enthusiastic group of librarians and PR folks interested in starting a social media movement at their organizations.

I was free to speak about how I initiated a social media strategy for my organization and how these professionals can do the same for theirs.

I talked about objectives, tactics, audiences and overall theory. But, what really stood out as the focal point of the presentation was the way in which PR professionals and librarians can get corporate buy-in from the legal team and corporate executives.

Therefore, this post is dedicated to helping you achieve the ultimate goal for a social media effort, getting the ‘buy-in’ from the legal and executive teams.

So, how do you get the ‘green light’ for a social media campaign or plan?

There are 5 initial steps you need to take before you can even attempt to lobby the C-Suite for a Twitter account, blog or Facebook account. Below, you’ll find everything you need:

1.    Get the legal team on your side.

Many social media proposals falter at the legal level. Too many companies invest time and resources into creating the plan and not enough time working with the legal team from the get-go.

Rather than create the plan and then bring it to the legal department for approval, make the legal team part of the process, from the beginning. Let them express their initial concerns and address them in the actual planning process.

By getting legal on board, it will make C-Suite buy-in that much easier.

2.    Internal employee policy

Work with the HR folks and legal team to create a comprehensive social media policy for employees. This will help cover your bases and ensure the entire team is informed and onboard.

What’s acceptable behaviour for employees when using their personal accounts? What are they allowed to tweet or post to Facebook? Who is allowed to Tweet or post on behalf of the organization? Address these questions from the beginning and then you’re free to create a quality plan.

3.    Commenting guidelines for your blog

If you decide to start a corporate blog, set up guidelines for commenting and sharing. Let people know that everything will be moderated before it is posted and that defamatory, racist, derogatory, sexist, etc. comments will not be posted. Always reserve the right to moderate and remove comments at a later time, if need be.

Again, this keeps the legal team happy and makes C-Suite buy-in easier to attain.

4.    Risk mitigation plan - preapproved messages 

Set up a list of preapproved messages and tweets for employees speaking on behalf of the organization. Legal should approve these messages from the start.

This step helps keep ‘control’ of what is being said on behalf of the organization, at all times.

If the messages can be fluid and interchanged, they won’t seem overly ‘canned.’

Also, in order to diffuse a potentially negative situation, make sure the social media team is trained to deal with negative comments. Give them a plan and let them steer conversations in the ‘right’ direction.

5.    Contingency plan - Advisory board

Before something goes wrong, organize an advisory board so that potentially negative situations can be quickly diffused. Have a contact point for all departments within the organization and use them whenever you need specific expertise and/or information.

If something doesn’t work out and a negative situation is imminent, have a plan B and plan C to use, if need be.

Once all these steps have been addressed, take your plan to the C-Suite. Essentially, these 5 steps will answer all the possible questions and concerns the C-Suite may have… before they have them.

If you have any questions, or need a step-by-step tutorial on how to create each plan or undertake each process, send me a message; I’d love to help

Choosing the right tactics for your social media plan

In previous posts we talked about constructing a social media plan and all its parts. Obviously, at some point, once all the strategies have been developed and all the audiences have been defined, it’s time to ‘let the rubber meet the road.’

By ‘rubber meeting the road’ we mean you need to choose and use the tactics that will carry out your social media plan effectively.

Tactics are your tools.

Will you choose to reach out to your audience on Facebook? Twitter? Blog? LinkedIn? Foursquare/Gowalla? Or a group buying site like Groupon?

Simply put, you need to choose tactics/tools that best meet the needs of your target audience and help fulfill your overall social media objectives.

Below are a few examples and cases that will help you out:

1.    If you are targeting middle-aged, affluent professionals, LinkedIn may be the best choice.

2.    If you are trying to increase sales and promote a new product, Groupon may be the most suitable tactic.

3.    If you are trying to establish your brand as an industry leader, writing a blog would be a wise move.

4.    If you are trying to provide superior customer service and reach out to people with questions about products in your industry, a Twitter account would work well.

Basically, what we are saying is that you need to have an ‘outside in’ perspective towards your brand. Where is your audience? And what’s the best way to connect with them? Look at it from your customer’s and/or potential customer’s angle and address their needs/concerns.

We should also mention that when choosing tactics, a quality over quantity approach is the best way to move forward. Don’t enter every forum or use every tactic; bite off what you can chew and chew it well.

Everything you do in social media should have a purpose and an end goal. 20 positive connections in one forum are far more effective than 2 connections in 5 forums.

Keep it simple and whatever you do, do it well.

Developing a Strategy for your social media plan

Having a strategy for your social media efforts may be one of the most important factors in your overall plan. Objectives help determine what you want to accomplish, but how you will achieve success resides in the overall strategy.

Once you’ve conducted a situation analysis, determined your audience, established your objectives, it’s time to plan a strategy.

In creating your social media strategy, you need to ask yourself one crucial question: 

How do you plan on reaching your objectives?

A strategy should be more than just engaging in social media. Sure, that’s the action, but it’s hardly a repeatable and bulletproof strategy. Also, don’t confuse “strategy” with tactics. Twitter, facebook, blogs are all examples of tactics NOT strategies.

Here are a few good strategies:

-> become a credible source in the industry

-> position yourself as an industry leader

-> motivate people to do something

-> advocate for a cause

-> reach a new demographic

-> raise awareness about your brand or products

-> create buzz around a new product

Once you determine your strategy, you can start thinking about which tactics will help you carry it out.

For example: If your strategy is to become an industry leader, you need to establish yourself/your brand as a credible source of information. You do that by providing thoughtful, creative, informative and interesting content.

In this case, a blog or micro-site/hub would be a successful tactic. Here you can establish a credible voice, feature ‘thought leaders’ from the industry in a guest post and respond directly to consumers’ concerns.

Simply put, strategies help ‘position’ your company online. Once the ‘position’ is solidified, your objectives will be more easily achieved. As well, strategies help determine tactics and will ensure your social media plan is on-track.

Defining Your Social Media Plan’s Objectives

Defining and setting objectives for your social media presence may be the most important step in creating a solid plan.

With objective setting, don’t think of it as HOW you’re going to ‘do’ social media, think of it as WHY you’re engaging in social media.

Too many companies jump into Facebook or use Twitter without defining their objectives. In doing this, these companies aren’t maximizing their performance online; they are wasting time and resources without really seeing any return on investment.  

So what does objective setting mean?

It means asking yourself and your team WHY the company needs to be using social media. By asking WHY, it becomes much easier to develop strategies, choose tactics and assess performance.

Here are 3 steps to help you develop objectives:

Ask yourself:

1) What do you want to accomplish?

- Do you want to increase the number of sales leads?

- Reach a new demographic?

- Strengthen customer service?

- Position your company as an industry leader?

- Promote your products?

2) What does success look like?

- Increase sales?

- Build a stronger following?

- Change brand perceptions?

- Satisfy customers by making positive connections?

3) How will you measure success?

You’ll need to periodically assess the performance of your social media efforts in order to keep the C-Suite happy and keep your team on track.

Ask for customer feedback, take polls, look at the sales figures and assess online sentiment. All these methods will help you quantify and qualify your efforts.

There you have it – objective setting 101. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask!