Step 1: Know who is officially representing your brand
It's very easy to select an office junior to look after your companies' social media sites, "because they understand it". However, using social media for personal use is very different to using it to build and protect a brand as Kent Police found out in 2013: http://bit.ly/ZGIdKj.
Whatever the age of the person/team running your social media activity, understand their previous use of social media sites and ensure they know your expectations (see steps 3 and 4).
Step 2: Determine who else is representing your brand
As well as official social media activity, there will be other people in your organisation who use these sites for personal and/or business use. To protect your brand, you need to know who they are, the types of information they are posting about your company and then work with them so your messages are strengthened by what they say.
Step 3: Know how you want to be seen
As with all marketing, understanding why you are using particular social media sites and setting clear objectives from it, makes your time spent much more effective. For example, XYZ Company decides that in the next financial quarter it wants to engage with 30 new potential customers of their new fancy widget. This allows them to profile who they want to be following on the social media site, understand what will encourage them to find out more about the new widget and what will encourage them to buy one. The updates used will then be more focused and any conversations joined or initiated will support this aim.
Step 4: Set the boundaries
All employees need to understand what's expected when they use social media sites in order to protect the company's reputation and brand.
It's also important that everyone is clear on how they are expected to treat co-workers, customers and suppliers online. Cyber-bullying is sadly on the increase and should be taken as seriously as other forms of bullying in the workplace.
Having a social media policy means everyone knows how they are expected to behave - both on the company's social media accounts and any personal ones - to safeguard the company and the people within it. I always recommend taking professional HR advice to ensure you get it right (after all each organisation is different) - try talking to Krystine or Liz at HR Protected.
Step 5: Review and Improve
Regularly check what's going on. Use a neutral computer (libraries are good for this) and search your company name. Check that references to it on social media position you in the way you want. Confirm that social media updates are written in the language and style of your potential customers; check there are no damaging links, comments or inappropriate conversations/comments.
Review the types of leads your social media activity is generating. Determine if they are they right type of leads - and if so, go and do more of the same. If not, work out why; adapt what you are doing; communicate the revised expectations and try something else.
Summary
Social media is an ever-evolving media that's great for promoting businesses. However, care needs to be taken to protect your brand and employees within it, which can be done by following the 5 steps above.
If you would like more information on developing or reviewing your organisation's use of social media, call us for advice on +44 1283 808460, tweet me @HannahSookias or send me a message via LinkedIn.
Hannah Sookias runs marketing consultancy and training company, Sookias Media and is also the co-founder of The Effective Marketing Club. She works with many different companies helping them implement effective marketing campaigns and generate a return on their promotional budgets.
