Module 5 of 5.Social Media Strategy

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Module 5: Strategy

Building the community

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Determine where you are today

• Level 0: Near-zero use of social media

• Level 1: Passive integration

• Level 2: Limited integration, some commitment

• Level 3: Committed to strategy, integration, training

• Level 4: Full turnaround, seamless integration

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Level 0No social media strategy, planning, training

• Management sees social media as time-wasting, unproductive and not aligned to business goals.

• All employees are banned from use of social media during office hours.

• Employees steal time to view social media feeds via smartphones or “illegal” access on office PCs.

• All communication still relying on traditional means.• Rivals start implementing social media tactics and

start showing results.

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Level 1: 90 degrees

Passive integration • Management allowed access to social media but still

views social media with suspicion or as a passing fad. Does not see integration as important to business goals.

• Employees are allowed to implement social media tactics on their own, with little or no management support or direction.

• A marketing or communications exec may collaborate with an ad agency or outside consultant on a single project.

• An occasional deal struck whereby social media elements are introduced in an important event or activity – product launch, promo or contest.

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Level 2: 180 degreesLimited commitment, some integration•Management curious about benefits and integration process, but still without a defined strategy, budget, timetable and training process

•Employees experiment with social media, some training available, social media policy adopted

•A social media lead may be appointed at junior level in some departments

•Communication and marketing teams see clear benefits and integrates social media in planning but still working in silos

•Social media integration starting to be planned in advance rather than as an afterthought

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Level 3: 270 degreesCommitment to social media

strategy, integration and training• Social media integration under implementation.• Appointment of social business-savvy director at board

level. Management team have budgetary and managerial power for social media integration, and a social media lead for the integration process.

• Full commitment to ongoing training required for social media integration in production, management, communication, marketing, sales, human resources and innovation.

• Social media strategy rolled out through cross-functional, multi-department teams.

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Level 4: 360 degreesFull turnaround, seamless integration

• Employees and management not learning about social media, they are living it. No distinction among new or old staff in social media-savviness.

• Company transformed into a “social business engine.”

• Processes in place where social media is a primary source of revenue-generation.

• Management decisions flow from a social media perspective, all business processes are fully integrated with social media platforms and channels.

• All internal and external communication is rich with community elements; constant feedback loop; transparent and accountable processes in place.

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Social media: strategic planning

1.Objectives = the broad goals and the measurable steps to achieve them

2.Identify key target audiences, platforms 3.Tactics =  the activities, apps, tools,

channels you will use, including offline activities

4.Resources: internal, external5.Budget6.Metrics, targets, KPIs, success criteria

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1a. Objectives: Examples• Improve internal

communication• Improve external

communication with media, vendors, suppliers, partners

• Connect and engage with present customers where they are

• Increase customers, generate leads, drive sales

• Reach and educate new customers

• Build awareness of products and services

• Humanize brand, service, management team

• Establish thought leadership, become subject matter expert, go-to industry spokesperson

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1b. Objectives: Specifics

Example: Improve external communications with the media

– Challenges: Media lacks information about our products and services, technical expertise to cover event

– Execution: Set up a closed group to reach specific reporters to connect informally, educate and inform them about new products and services that may result in stories in media

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2. Identify key audiences, platforms

• Objective: Connect and engage with present customers where they are.– Challenge: Unaware of which social networks

customers are using and what they are saying– Execution:

• Run a survey of present customer base• Listen and monitor conversations• Follow product ‘keywords’• Determine content shared in which platforms• Identify fans, competitors, critics, trolls• Identify gaps in which you can add value

12Spectators/Watchers

Sharers

Commenters

Producers

Curators

Engagement pyramid

Source: Open Leadership, Charlene Li

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Advocacy: Help the fanbase

Satisfied customers, Fanboy/girls: People who have used your brand, product, service. “Help them help you.”

Ideas: Blogger/Facebook/Twitter fan outreach programme. Provide content they can use, link, share, mashup, send to others. Eg: company tour, photos, videos, free fun apps, widgets, games, promos, prizes for their readers.

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3. Tactics and methods

• Choose platform: Blogging, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube

• Apps or tools: Free or custom-built• What activities?

– Contests, conferences, events, concerts, themed monthly features, video uploads, community activities

• Offline activities: – Outreach programmes, tweetups, tours,

exclusive giveaways for loyal customers, community gatherings

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3. Tactics: ExamplesPlatform Description Objectives

Internal blogMultiple individual/group blogs

Gauge social media talent: For employees and interns only

Internal forums Technology discussionsBetter communication, support for customers

LinkedIn Business networkingEngagement: Make employees, partners, suppliers upload profiles, start a group

Wiki Collaborative publishingImprove knowledge database – open to employees, partners, customers, students

Facebook PageShowcasing new products, services, launches, events

Engagement with advocates

Twitter Microblogging, openEngagement, brand awareness, media relations

YouTube CEO’s speeches, talksPromote CEO thought leadership, start conversations

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4. Resources: Internal, external• What can the company handle? • What resources can we dedicate in terms of people, tech, etc?

• Accept that staff, customers may be critical or negative.

• If the company’s culture is top-down, command-and-control, you need to break mould by seeking third-party expert help.

• Third-party may not have share authentic voice of company

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Internal resources: The rollout• Fail fast: People will appreciate

transparency. Don’t fear failures - first time you make a mistake, try again.

• Lobby: Personal motivations matter: eg: if there’s someone wanting a promotion approach them individually. Get them on

board and to champion project early so they can claimbenefit later on. It’s all lobbying skills.Champion: Champions come from all depts. Age is notan issue. Just because someone is young doesn’t meanhe/her is innately ‘digital.’ Skeptics: Get some pessimists and skeptics on board.Give them the tools, learn from their criticisms.

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Scenario 2: SWAT team: Get a small team sneakily doing something and rack up some small wins. (This method can backfire though. Eg: A page that attracts attacks.)

4. Resources: scenariosScenario 1: Corporate-wide awareness training: Drum up support for social media, identify talent, bring in trainers, speakers.

Scenario 3: Start small with a few external committed bloggers, social networkers and tweeters and roll out wider if necessary.

NOTE: Document successes and failures and lessons from above.

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5. Budget

• Agency costs

• Custom-built apps

• Web design

• Additional internal staff

• External freelancers: bloggers, photographers, videographers, designers, database programmers

• Prizes and giveaways

• Sponsorship for events

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6. Metrics, KPIs, success criteria

• You cannot improve what you don’t measure

• Quantitative and qualitive metrics

• Set up monitoring tools to measure downloads, views, followers, likes, engagement, sentiment

• Don’t be afraid to set high numbers, ambitious goals to grow community

• Constantly challenge the team

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On management buy-inROI: There is no silver bullet to building a business case for using social media

• The 1st question is often ‘How can this make money?’ but it should be ‘How can we help our customers?’

• Evaluate the cost to achieve the same by traditional means ie: print advertising, marketing, support and IT dept costs.

• Justification: “If we don’t, our competitors will take market share.”

• Financial Dept: Give them the numbers.

• HR: Talk about staff retention.

• IT: Talk about leverage to buy new toys.

• Legal: Aim of legal dept is to reduce risk to zero. Businesses work by taking and managing risks.

• Executive buy-in will expedite the financial, legal, HR teams getting on board.

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Example of social media policy•Use common sense (don’t piss off your boss)

•Do not post entries that are personal attacks or culturally sensitive or religiously offensive

•Do not discuss unreleased products and features

•Post a standard company disclaimer on your blog, profile page and disclose affiliation to company or specific projects

•If you post all or parts of an internal email, conceal the names of the sender and recipients

• When expressing an opinion, emphasize that you speak only for yourself, beginning a sentence with "IMHO"

• If you doubt the appropriateness of a post, ask a peer what they think and then read it again the next day as if it were headline in a newspaper.

• Do not post too much noise (ie: inane accounts of your boredom with life)

• Respect the platform, be an adult

• Keep it friendly, and have fun

• Be wary of copyright issuesEG: http://channel9.msdn.com/About/http://womma.org/blogger/readhttp://www.intel.com/sites/sitewide/en_US/social-media.htm

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Dealing with the trolls

Source: Forrester Research

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Signs of success… on Google

When company or brand is Googled:1. Leads me to company website, Facebook page, Twitter account, official

blog, other owned media or staff’s social media pages

2. Leads to news stories, active discussions and commentary on social media sites on issues related to company

3. Does not lead to something controversial or negative, (unless a lesson to be learnt)

When staff are individually Googled:

1. Doesn’t come up blank.

2. Leads me to their online blog, webpage or social media profiles and company is identified.

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Signs that your social media strategy is working on their blogs

They have interesting things to say about your CEO, your company, products, services and your industry

They share and link regularly to interesting ideas, stories and posts from your official accounts

They provide glimpses into how you are humanizing your brand for them

They do not bad-mouth your company or staff (caveat: unless there is a lesson worth learning)

They seem genuine and honest in their opinions of your front-facing staff, company, brand, products, services

Adapted from Boris Epstein, CEO and Founder of BINC

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Signs that your social media strategy is working on Twitter

You often find positive tweets about your company, many re-tweets of your posts

Your replies are viewed positively and seem genuine and authentic

Your official account is growing steadily and as a diverse set of followers

You keep a healthy balance between personal and professional tweets

You engage in discussions related to your business and seem to be an authority in your field

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Signs your community is working on Facebook

Community is responding well to your regular updates with increased Likes, Shares, Comments

Fans sign up on your Events fastFans leave comments and show genuine interest

in wanting to engage with brand and adminsFans are enthused and constantly finding new

content to keep conversations fresh.Fans find updates relevant to their profession and

industry

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Signs that your social media strategy is working on LinkedIn

Users in your group have complete profilesThey make genuine recommendations

about peers, managers and colleaguesThey voluntarily answer questionsThey are linking to their employer, blog and

other projects of interest.They are participating and getting involved

discussion in the community.

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