As consumers rely more and more on the internet for their communication and entertainment needs, social media has become the centerpiece for many businesses’ marketing and sales efforts. Implementing the following five management suggestions will help turn social media into an effective and efficient marketing tool for your company.
1. Team Communication
Communicating your company’s social media strategies with your team is just as important as other aspects of your company. There are several actions you can take to help reassure your team that their efforts are important and noticed. Employee appreciation programs can have a huge impact on the effectiveness of your team, and the creativity exerted for each project.
- Schedule regular team meetings and conference calls that specifically address social media marketing. Use instant messaging and video chat in addition to standard office meetings. This kind of collaboration allows your teammates to contribute to a discussion without a lot of pressure.
- Develop your company’s positive reputation as one who wants to help others by consistently encouraging your team to be proactive and assertive on various social networks. For example, if you run a home security business, make sure your team is fully prepared to promptly address questions and concerns on social networks regarding home security in general as well as what your company can offer.
- Ask each team member to bring consumer questions that they resolved to the meeting for discussion.
A good example of this type of communication is with Vivint Reviews. They did an analysis of different regions throughout the U.S via social media to determine if doing business there was a possibility. Because of their communication through social media and reaching out to people, they were able to establish a good foothold in the areas. Although it may seem ridiculous to use social media this way, it can be a very effective tool.
2. Team Expectations
As part of clear communication, make sure your team knows what the social expectations are for the company.
- Set expectations for quantity and timing. Set team and individual goals for how many posts to write in a week. Use an online calendar to keep track of your expectations and your team members’ fulfillment of those expectations.
- Write your social media posts 1 week to 1 month in advance to establish a habit of regular posting as well as a solid content marketing strategy.
3. Education
Social media is relatively new and constantly evolving. So, if you want your company to manage social media effectively, it’s important that your team is consistently educated. There are several, more focused networks in addition to larger social platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Inbound.org is a fantastic way to keep up with the latest trends and tools that can set your team ahead of the curve. Depending on the situation, big data analytics programs like Hadoop can greatly boost your efforts, as long as it is applicable. You can never underestimate the importance of keeping up with the latest social media developments, with any resource possible.
- There are several, more focused networks in addition to larger social platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Keep abreast on the changing online social environment by searching for new networks that may be a good fit for your company’s involvement.
- Break out of your own inner circle from time to time. Regularly bring in outside expertise and have them present new strategies and ideas at team meetings or conferences.
The lack of education in social media has been the source of humiliation for many companies over the past few years, resulting in a PR nightmare. On the other hand, Domino’s Pizza had a success story where YouTube was used by some irresponsible employees to damage to company’s reputation, but then turned completely around by the company’s CEO. Knowing how to use social media and when can be invaluable.
4. Delegation
You already know you can’t do everything yourself. Your company will be more efficient and your social media strategies will be more creative and effective if you delegate tasks.
- Assign shifts. In conjunction with the calendar, consider using a rotating shift system so that someone is always covering social media, even on nights and weekends. This will also help your team to understand the responsibilities involved with social media.
- Focus on individual strengths. When considering how to delegate tasks, focus on what your team members do best. Make a list of what each teammate’s unique strengths are and find social media tasks to match those qualities.
- For many businesses, you might not have the personnel that are social media savvy, which can complicate things. Unless you plan on bringing this in-house very soon, you will need to hire a digital marketing firm that does social media. These companies have in-depth knowledge that will blow your mind, and keep you connected with your customers.
5. Engagement
Making your content compelling in social media will help attract customers. Quality content is the substance of social media strategy. The 2013 NFL Super Bowl has a prime example of how to engage followers/customers. When the lights went out in the middle of the game, Oreo sent out a very clever Tweet that got people talking. In fact it was talked about weeks after people had forgotten about the game. Now that is engagement.
- Focus less on yourself. Invite discussion and share more interesting stories about others. That way, you turn yourself into an expert and source that everyone else can turn to.
- Be genuine. Honesty from the beginning creates a comfortable environment. More people will be attracted to a company that is sincere and free of pretense. They will be more willing to do business with you, and you can establish an honest relationship from the outset.
- With these tips you can effectively manage your company’s social media. The resources you use from the internet, outside expertise and within your team will improve your business relationships as well as the overall quality of your company.