While browsing Smallbiztrends yesterday, I came across an article from Lisa Barone on myths that she has observed in businesses small and large in the area of social media engagement. In a nutshell, the focus was on the areas of;
- Who undertakes the activity in the business i.e. making sure that the person can correctly represent your company in the space and has a social engagement competence!
- That community building is about off-line as much as on-line.
- That you don’t have to be friends with everyone – just the people who will benefit from engaging with you and visa versa (it’s about developing your business). Getting lost in inane babble that is not relevant to you or your business should be avoided!
- That even if you’re great at social media, you can’t present a poor product or service to the market. Too right! Social media will work against you if you try.
- That to seriously engage in the use of social media can and should determine the way that you operate your business.
All in all, this article was about handling social media as an integrated and planned part of your marketing activities. It is simply no use engaging with your community on a fire and forget basis. Your business needs to;
- Understand what it wants out of social media e.g. customer updates, sales, product information, revenue generation, customer service….
- Create a plan of approach on how you are going to achieve this.
- Who is going to engage in the space on your behalf?
- What can they say or more importantly can they not say. Are you happy for it to be a fully “open” space where everything and anything can be discussed in relation to your business? You need to find the right person who can engage to talk the language of your business without sounding contrived.
- Which tools are you going to use and how are you going to use them? There is a myriad of tools available to you, but not all are appropriate necessarily.
- If you are going to need some guidance, there is lots of reading out there in blogs and books. If you are really not sure, then make sure you have a bit of cash to go and get some help. This is your business image!
- Include ROI measurements otherwise you won’t know whether it’s working or not.
- Ensure that the person/people chosen to present the company in social media understand what is expected of them and that they have the time to engage properly.
- Review and measure constantly.
These are just a few considerations, there are plenty more.
The point is to treat your social media marketing as seriously as you treat other marketing activities if you are going to engage in it.. otherwise you will flounder or worse – create a bad reputation/image for your business.
What else would you add to this list?
Photo:KevinDooley
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So you say 'If you are really not sure, then make sure you have a bit of cash to go and get some help.'… One of the problems i have is that while i have the cash backing of my company to 'go and get some help' there are a million and one training courses ranging from one day sessions to full degress in social media.. is there a happy medium out there?? can a marketing person go and do a course that will arm them to take on the role that you have outlined above without having to commit to years of college attendance(at the end of which everything you have learned is sure to be old news and no longer of use)? How does one distinguish among the courses and find the best suited and most reliable.. I dont want to attend a course that tells me how to set up a facebook page or a twitter account.. i want a course that is going to illustrate how my company can benefit and the techniques that should be used to get the most out of the social media applications out there..any ideas…..
Hi Isabel.
You are quite right in what you say – there is a huge variety of options out there in the “training” sphere from lengthy courses to the one day update session. I would say that if you are trying to understand how social media can fit into and work for your organisation, then a one or two day session with an area expert (of which there are quite a number – just be sure to research their credentials) to shape how your company could/would benefit should be the first step. Assuming that the company buys into the approach, the next step is is to understand how to engage. For us, we have done a lot of research and reading along with seeking some coaching guidance and are finding our own way. For others, perhaps an on-going coach can work to help steer you without having to attend lots of classes! And then for others, do the courses on offer. There is no “right” answer on this – but of course, this is just my view
Others out there – what are your thoughts?
Thanks for the comment and stopping by.
Hi Isabel.
You are quite right in what you say – there is a huge variety of options out there in the “training” sphere from lengthy courses to the one day update session. I would say that if you are trying to understand how social media can fit into and work for your organisation, then a one or two day session with an area expert (of which there are quite a number – just be sure to research their credentials) to shape how your company could/would benefit should be the first step. Assuming that the company buys into the approach, the next step is is to understand how to engage. For us, we have done a lot of research and reading along with seeking some coaching guidance and are finding our own way. For others, perhaps an on-going coach can work to help steer you without having to attend lots of classes! And then for others, do the courses on offer. There is no “right” answer on this – but of course, this is just my view
Others out there – what are your thoughts?
Thanks for the comment and stopping by.
Great post Barney!
I am a somewhat reluctant social-media user: mostly because I hate technology. I much prefer face-to-face business meetings in pubs that have Guinness, Becks or Bells Two Hearted Ale on tap. But, nonetheless, I see the great value in Social Media. Great article with great tips, advice and perspective! You continue to be a great source of information!
Yoni
Cheers for the comment Yoni. I would agree on the face to face being the best approach (always is). Along with the beer on tap of course
[...] their B2B business especially when targeting an English-speaking audience. GlobalReach CopywritingCreating a social media plan. Starting with the tips we published in a recent Small Business Trends post, this article takes [...]
Isabela, Barney is absolutely right.
There are many training options out there by all types of people. You should do your due diligence in finding someone to help you get your program up and running. I do believe that a person needs to have a true understanding of how the social media platforms they choose are going to fit together into your overall marketing objectives. Far too many people get involved with FaceBook or Twitter and others, but do so without any thought as to how these should complement each other. How each one can serve a purpose in generating attention, brand building, promotion, lead generation or relationship building. Otherwise, you may be out there just spinning your wheels. But, if you are, at least you’re in the car:)
Great post Barney.
Hello Steve. Thanks for dropping by and contributing to the conversation. Nice analogy with the car b.t.w.
[...] Creating a social media plan. Starting with the tips we published in a recent Small Business Trends post, this article takes things a step further showing small businesses how best to figure out their social media needs and create a plan that helps them move forward with a strategy. MyProjectTracker [...]
[...] Creating a social media plan. Starting with the tips we published in a recent Small Business Trends post, this article takes things a step further showing small businesses how best to figure out their social media needs and create a plan that helps them move forward with a strategy. MyProjectTracker [...]
[...] Creating a social media plan. Starting with the tips we published in a recent Small Business Trends post, this article takes things a step further showing small businesses how best to figure out their social media needs and create a plan that helps them move forward with a strategy. MyProjectTracker [...]
[...] Creating a social media plan. Starting with the tips we published in a recent Small Business Trends post, this article takes things a step further showing small businesses how best to figure out their social media needs and create a plan that helps them move forward with a strategy. MyProjectTracker [...]
[...] Creating a social media plan. Starting with the tips we published in a recent Small Business Trends post, this article takes things a step further showing small businesses how best to figure out their social media needs and create a plan that helps them move forward with a strategy. MyProjectTracker [...]
[...] Creating a social media plan. Starting with the tips we published in a recent Small Business Trends post, this article takes things a step further showing small businesses how best to figure out their social media needs and create a plan that helps them move forward with a strategy. MyProjectTracker [...]