Normally I like to write an intro paragraph on what that day’s post is going to be about, but this one is pretty self-explanatory. Here are some of my tips/thoughts for marketers that have, or are looking to have, a presence on social media networks:
1) Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither was any social media community. If you invest and start your own blog, Twitter handle, etc. you are kidding yourself if you expect instant ROI. Be patient, give it time, and you’ll see the rewards in the long run.
2) How often should you blog/tweet? Whenever you have content that provides value to your readers. But more than anything, be consistent.
3) You don’t need to have a crisis communications meeting whenever you see a negative comment about your company. Respond to those comments with honest thoughts and never delete them from your page (if applicable). That person may not like your company, but they’ll respect you even more when they see that you didn’t ignore their comment.
4) Gaining admirers on these networks is not rocket science. Engage with people and be transparent. That’s how you gain and maintain an audience.
5) Do not put someone in charge of your blog/Twitter handle, etc. that does not want to be there in the first place. You need someone that WANTS to be involved. Take it from me, writing a blog is hard work … but it’s a lot of fun if you enjoy it!
What else would you add to this list?
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Thanks for including me on your blog Lauren!
This is all great advice. One thing I would add is that companies should not look at anything in social media as a silver bullet — like all things in communication/marketing what you do should fit within your existing brand efforts and not be a silo effort. You offer a lot of common sense thoughts and I like that. You’re right in that all of this isn’t rocket science; it needs a strategy and well-thought tactics, but at the end of the day making this effective should not be complicated.
Totally agree, Allan. Thanks so much for the comments!
I agree with a lot of the points in this piece.
I also think that people should also assess the ROI of social media tools.
One way I do this is I look at how many referrals my tweets get in a day. So for example, if I do 5 tweets, and I get 3 referrals back to my website from Twitter, I see that as a good ROI.
Good points on ROI
Thanks. Another quick thought as well. I have seen that when I leave relevant thoughts in forums, and leave a link to my website in my signature, I tend to get good referrals that have low bounce rates, when I check in Google Analytics.