Let’s try out these new social media, they say. Then they use them to distribute a flow of press releases, linking to their own website. What the **** is social about that? And then they get disappointed about the results.
- Social means two-way communication
- Social means engaging people
- Social means people engaging with people
- Social means listening
- Social means responding
When discussing with companies who are contemplating starting to use social media, my advice is usually the same and pretty simple:
- Start scanning Twitter and other platforms where it is possible for your company and brand names – why not for your competitor’s too? – for your products and services and other topics of interest.
- Establish processes to channel the “spontaneous feedback” to those concerned in the company
- Start interacting with people who make interesting posts. Respond to complaints and comments. Engage with potential ambassadors.
- Then, but not before, start interspersing with your own marketing messages. Since, by this time, you are likely to have built sufficient credibility with the public and strong relations with the ambassadors so they pass your messages on through their networks.
Say after me please: Social Media is not just another megaphone
The Social Swede (a.k.a. Bjebeje) 