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Social Media - it's everywhere!  Both large and small organizations use social media. Large companies are most visible and usually use multiple channels, but small businesses are active as well – in fact, over 41% of small businesses use Facebook to support their marketing efforts. And no wonder -- social media can be used for both outgoing and inbound communications. Organizations can listen and monitor for customer service and public relations feedback as well as communicate and engage their target market. But you may have noticed that some organizations get more out of their efforts than others. Their audience likes, shares and comments more often, resulting in greater awareness and better connections. What are the keys to these successful social media programs? 1) Specific Goals First, these organizations are not just "doing" social media. They start with objectives that are aligned with organizational goals and values. Social media is often used to support specific objectives, like growing awareness for a new offering, communicating brand and organizational values, or supporting recruitment. 2) Audience Knowledge The program is built on knowledge of the target customer and what interests them.
3) Offers Value Social media should include information and topics of interest to engage. Posting information that is entertaining, or that customers might not find elsewhere (like exclusive notices of sales or coupons), and encouraging interaction is key. These organizations think of social media as a conversation with their followers rather than a sales announcement tool. With social media, you have to earn your following, so any sales messages have to be subtle and sprinkled through the other messages – less than 20% of the content. 4) Prioritized Tactics Successful social media programs take time and consistent effort to build a following. To maximize resources, efforts are focused on channels that appeal most to the target market and fit the organization’s content. They try to be where the potential market is, but don’t try to be everywhere! Better to excel at two channels than have a scattered presence on five.
5) Team Effort and Coordination Coordination helps get the best out of social media. For small business as well as larger ones, a designated team and coordinated calendar are essential. Planning consistent messaging across platforms, knowing in advance of events and other initiatives, leveraging the following on one channel to point to content on another, and having a reliable source of fresh content are benefits of a well-coordinated team. 6) Clear Guidelines Many industries have regulations and restrictions on what can be made public. In addition, it is a good idea to have ground rules that employees may refer to when posting or re-posting/retweeting information about the organization. 7) Measurements, Analysis and Adjustments Success social media efforts are tracked and measured so they can be continually improved. Simple measures like shares, likes, retweets and comments can indicate engagement. A growing number of followers can indicate awareness. Depending on the goals, there are other measures as well:
Great social media programs have their finger on the pulse of the audience and stakeholders. Feedback collected from customers and employees is used to refine the content and can be valuable to marketing and business growth decisions. Thanks for reading! How does your organization run their social media programs? What have you found that works best? If you have questions or would like to explore team-based social media marketing, please contact us. Image credit: John Atkinson's Cartoons Broad Reach Marketing helps professional practices and local businesses engage and retain customers with practical, effective branding, strategy and promotions.
We love to help good ideas and organizations grow! Other articles you may find interesting: How to Make it Easier for Patients to Find Your Practice 4 Tips for Protecting your Online Reputation This is the third and final blog in our series of three focusing on rebranding a business. The first blog, “When is Rebranding the Answer?” concentrated on the questions to ask and situations where rebranding may be the strategically right thing to do for renewing or expanding your business. The second, ” So You’ve Decided to Rebrand- What’s Next?” focuses on the process of researching and defining your new brand. Our final blog, "The Nitty Gritty Rebranding Check List" is just that - a tool developed to assist you as you go about your re-branding effort. The Rebranding Checklist Phase I – Creation Complete your market research Gain Feedback - Inputs from: Critical Customers Clients Employees Management Key Stakeholders Re-define your positioning Gain Stakeholder Consensus on Re-Branding Profile Finalize your new strategic direction: Clear Vision Statement Company Culture & Values Statement Clear Marketplace Value Proposition Finalize Creative Logo tag line and styles that represents the organization as defined above Phase II – Internal Re-alignment Employee / Management Education and Consensus: Why the new emphasis – What’s in it for the business and them How it affects everyone behaviorally How the change will be measured Phase III – Non Web-based Re-alignment Marketing Collateral:
Phase IV – Web-based Re-alignment
Images On-page SEO: Titles, Keywords, Meta Descriptions RSS link Analytics Opt-in form for Email Newsletter Phase V – External Notification Who to Contact How to Contact Customers Clients Vendors Contractors Regulatory Bodies Others Notification methods may include: Written Notification (letters, forms etc) Social Media Announcements Meetings Launch Luncheons or Festivities Thanks for reading! Contact us for a free copy of this checklist (spreadsheet format).
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