Is Social Media for Everyone?
In 2009, companies and the consuming public have been focused on the idea of social media and its increasing role in the evolution of business marketing. Great examples are being set by brands like GM, Whole Foods and possibly your local news station, which have led to businesses in every industry scrambling to get connected.
Whether it’s Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or the large amounts of social sharing tools (e.g. digg, delicious, StumbleUpon and so on), businesses are starting to realize if they aren’t participating, then they will be left behind.
So should every company start “tweeting” on Twitter, “friending” on Facebook and “connecting” through LinkedIn all at once? Not necessarily. But that’s what a lot of businesses are doing, and without a strategy to support their efforts, many don’t realize they could be hurting their brand more than they are helping it.
Social media is not as simple as creating profiles on each social network site and making random posts. It is about listening, learning, building relationships and bringing value to the communities relevant to your organization.
Social media, when connected to search marketing, content marketing and public relations strategies, can help your organization boost search engine rankings, build relationships, manage and strengthen your brand, and enhance your positioning as a thought-leader and innovator. In other words, you need a strategy.
So, is social media right for your business?
Here are six questions to consider before launching your brand onto the social Web.
1. Have you defined your brand?
Every organization must differentiate and define itself. For starters, answer the question, “Who are we (in 140 characters or less, and without meaningless jargon)?” Until you can define who you are, you can’t expect anyone else to understand. For instance, PR 20/20’s Twitter bio reads that we are an, “inbound marketing agency, PR firm. Focused on content marketing, PR, social media, search engine marketing.”
2. Do you know your audiences?
Every business must understand its audiences’ needs and clearly define its buyer personas. Discover where your audiences congregate online, and what types of communications and content they value. With this information, create and implement a strategic social media campaign that will reach and influence all audiences relevant to your business.
3. Have you established a content strategy that will deliver value?
When sharing content and participating in social media, the most important question to ask is, “What value can I bring?” Consider your organization’s knowledge and capabilities, as well as the needs and goals of your audiences, then publish things that matter. This will help your brand connect in meaningful and personal ways. Zappos.com’s CEO, Tony Hsieh, does an awesome job at delivering content to his followers on Twitter.
4. Do you know where your audiences are and how to connect with them?
Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Facebook are the obvious starting points, but do your homework and discover where your audiences are congregating and connecting. Start by researching forums, blogs and niche social networks for opportunities to engage with your core audiences. Learn about where they want to receive information and how your business can bring value to their experience on the social Web.
5. Do you have the internal resources needed?
You can’t outsource social media participation. Like any relationship, it requires time and a commitment to authenticity. Make sure you have the people, permissions (i.e. management support) and policies in place within your organization to make social media an integral, ongoing part of your marketing and communications efforts.
6. Do you know how to measure and monitor your success?
The network platforms previously mentioned come equipped with the elements needed to track the growth of your success, or reach. Start by benchmarking your social network profiles (i.e. number of followers, fans, subscribers, comments and so on) and continually track these figures monthly. There are also a number of free tools you can employ, such as HubSpot Twitter Grader, Google Feedburner and more. It’s also important to connect these metrics to your business acquisition and retention goals.
One size does not fit all businesses
There are endless opportunities for organizations in social media. However, it’s not about doing it ALL, but rather it’s about deciding on the RIGHT combination for your business, and doing it WELL.
Related PR 20/20 Social Media Posts:
- Why You Actually Need to PARTICIPATE in Social Media
- Twitter Strategy: An Incomplete Guide for Beginners
- Getting Started on Facebook: Five Tips to Maximizing your Company’s Page
- Six Tips for Maximizing Your LinkedIn Profile
Dia Dalsky is an associate consultant at PR 20/20, a Cleveland-based inbound marketing agency and PR firm. Follow Dia on Twitter @DiaDalsky.
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