Category: Marketing

Yours, Mine or Ours? The Ongoing Debate Over Who Should Manage a Company’s Social Media
Wednesday, 27 October 2010 by Jean in Marketing, Social Marketing • 0 Comments

 

Yours, Mine or Ours?

The Ongoing Debate Over Who Should Manage a Company’s Social Media

I know this will make me unpopular with some of my advertising friends and partners, but it’s based on my hands-on experience of at least the last year and a half:

Let me preface this by saying that in a perfect world, a company would manage their own social media, making it more authentic, but it’s not a perfect world and that’s what creates jobs.

Thus:

While there are exceptions to this rule, a PR agency is the best resource for handling social media for clients: not the advertising agency; not the website development team, technicians and designers; not internal people who don’t have the time/knowledge to devote to it.

To quantify, let’s keep this to a discussion to ongoing retainer clients and tools including Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn.

Here’s why:

  • It’s our job to know what’s going on with our clients at all times. We know what new products you’re introducing, what events you’re throwing, what your president is doing next week 
  • We know what you do and how you do it – we have to – that’s what makes us good PR people. We know the ins and outs of your business: what makes it unique, challenging, competitive, interesting, new, difficult, exciting – on an ongoing basis, not just when we’re developing a new branding campaign or web design
  • We are talking to you on a regular basis vs. other creative vendors who are handling projects or only in touch on a semi-regular basis
  • We are regularly reading what other key media and industry experts are saying about your industry on and off line; this gives us additional insight and content to post that will educate, inspire and start those two-way conversations with your target audiences
  • We think editorially, not commercially – therefore we can execute an engaging strategy for effective social media – without being too promotional. We believe in a 70/30 social media philosophy: 70% of content is informational, engaging, entertaining; 30% is promotional and all about you.
 
Social Media: The Rules of Engagement
Monday, 22 February 2010 by Jacqueline Edelman in Marketing, Social Marketing • 0 Comments

So my mom is on Facebook.

Though she rarely signs in and hasn’t posted anything since the day she opened her account – she’s taken the steps to joining the Social Media revolution by just putting her name out there.

The problem is, if she were a business, her blank page would not bode well for her company. It would signal to customers and the rest of the social media universe that she merely signed on because everyone else had done so, not because she genuinely intended to communicate directly and offer valuable information.

Her lack of posts, interaction and presence are tell tale signs that she jumped into the deep end of the pool before learning the basics on how to swim.

Businesses should not dive into the fast-paced realm of social media without first understanding the rules of engagement:

1. Update your website. Appearances are everything and regardless how the motto goes, people do judge a book by its cover. A businesses’ webpage is its online identity – whatever social networks you join, people will refer back to your webpage to find out more about you. If you wouldn’t go to a social event without first making yourself look presentable, why would you join a social media site without first making sure your website is up to par?

2. Know who you want to reach. Think about it this way, would you go to a Monster Truck Rally to sell medical supplies? While that might not be a bad idea, typically you’re not going to find the type of customer here that will empty their pockets to purchase the latest finger splint. Point is, know your audience and go where they are. Different social media sites cater to different demographics- so do the research!

3. Don’t be a wallflower, join the party! It’s not enough to simply join a social network – you must actually have a presence there as well, otherwise you’re missing out on the opportunity to meet and interact with current and potential customers.

4. Don’t be that Guy/Girl. Everyone knows them, the guy/gal that only talks about themselves. It’s a turn-off. Don’t do it. It’s called social networking because it’s meant to be social. Take the time to interact with people, contribute to conversations without being self-promotional.

Which leads me to my final rule…

5. Have something to offer. We live in a “what’s in it for me” world and let’s face it, if you can’t bring something to the table, you’re likely to be passed aside. Social network sites can and should be used, not only to announce the latest news, but to provide tips/advice, answer questions, etc.

 
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