by Audrey Glenn
Social media has introduced a plethora of new direct marketing and communication channels. You can engage audiences in meaningful ways and build relationships based on similar interests, which provides more long-term value. At the same time, you must be familiar with the unwritten “rules” of these online communities, or you can quickly fall on your face and lose their attention for good. There are caveats you must learn in order to make it “in” and gain ground for spreading your influence once you are part of the crowd. It’s almost like you need a GPS (or if you’re old-school, a map) to get it right! Here are some quick and dirty “rules” for entering – see if you’re up to the challenge…
1. Know where you want to go
Be clear about your goals and needs. If you don’t know where you’re driving to, it’s best to pull over and figure it out (unless you have an unlimited gas card). Social media is not a one-size-fits-all venture. Each social media site/community has its own culture. Some fit your business model and/or brand better than others. Participating in some, in fact, could backfire. For instance, would a furrier want to join an animal rights community? All choices are not quite this simple, but you get the gist.
Do the research to learn which networks are the best fit for your company and where you are trying to go. There are many networks to explore, but trial-and-error can cost you lots of time.
2. Engage and interact
You die-hard sales and marketing types might be tempted to use the same old tactics. Ads and promotions to pull and convert leads in order to make the harder sell. But remember that online communities consist of members – people – who share similar interests and needs. You must be willing to fulfill those needs, be it with information, advice or access to both. Join discussions and conversations, on a regular basis. Consistently interacting and adding value will earn the trust of customers online – not blindly spitting out promos!
3. Be creative
You probably realize how that you are missing out on audiences you weren’t reaching. And chances are you’re right. But so are others like you, so how do you stand out? One hint: viral video’s. One reason a good video gets widespread attention is that we all love to watch people. What about contests and interactive shows? Just a couple of examples. The point is, what worked in the past probably won’t cut it in online communities. You have to think outside the box, to outshine competition.
4. Think content vs. flash
Nice ads are cool. But in online communities, conversation and content rule. I don’t feel bad belaboring this point because it’s simply that critical to your social networking success. People are tired of being sold to and talked “at”. I predict that sometime in the near future, advertising will be blocked out of 50% of a person’s everyday life. Technology that helps to push this forward will be in big demand. Being able to “push” ads and messages will become more costly than ever. The sooner you learn to use conversation and services to sell your goods, the better.
5. Integrate your message(s)
Every “forward-thinking” manager will start trying to incorporate social media into their communication/marketing plans. The need to coordinate messages/content within an organization is critical to preserving the brand. One idea is to create a social media task force to identify groups/communities that each department should address. If other departments and divisions are online, plan to coordinate your messages and content to avoid brand confusion.
6. Get help
Taking the wrong turns in your social media activities can cost you time, leads and trust.
It’s best to get help from experienced communicators who can start you off on the right track. From there you can appoint an employee or professional to take your smooth-driving car and keep it on the road.
