I’ve heard a lot of MDs and marketing managers talking about their Twitter or Facebook “campaigns” lately, and not really understanding what the real benefits of Social Media are. They have been loosely playing with these tools, and maybe have even run offers but haven’t really seen any obvious returns or benefits. Most of them are approaching these tools as stand-alone areas, with no real plan. They don’t stop to think, “What is Social Media?”
Social Media is the chatter occurring between customers, observers, critics, companies and it’s a conversation that’s happening right now whether you’re involved or not.
In fact, most likely it’s happening online right now about your brand. Take a quick look! Search for your brand in Google. Check the Twitterverse.
If you want to be really thorough try a real-time search website such as Social Mention. http://www.socialmention.com/
Facebook and Twitter alone aren’t social media, they are two tools with which people engage in Social Media (of the many - take a look at this Conversation Chart for an idea of how much is out there). This is an important consideration when planning your online campaign.
Consistency is very important in an online presentation of your brand. What your saying on Twitter should be consistent with what you say on your website. What you post on Facebook should tie in with your Linked-In. Your landing pages should connect with your different online advertising and so on.
Remember: One Message across many tools.
Your Social Media campaign should be about engagement and evolution. People have the opportunity to express their sentiment and air their grievances with you at any hour from anywhere. Ideally, quick reaction to these comment will aid you greatly. You can respond to misconceptions about your brand by providing an information “hub” (such as a micro site) and then funnel people to that point. You can learn about your businesses strengths and weaknesses, and what people REALLY think about your brand. People are brutally honest, approaching outright harsh online, but this doesn’t need to be a bad thing.
Of course, we don’t all have time in our schedules for such an intense level of involvement. Even if you can only set aside one hour a week for Social Media, you will still reap immense benefits and be amazed by what you can do for your brand with this exciting medium. Start exploring these tools and work towards establishing a long term plan rather than seeding small disjointed conversations online.
