Susan Davis International sent out a list of seven social media tips. These include:
1 – Create a clear, concise Social Media policy. This should be short enough that an employee could read it standing up on the Metro during Inauguration weekend. (For those of you that aren’t DC natives, picture thousands of confused tourists, standing room only– breathing room if you’re lucky). A page or two to let your staff know what you expect from them and where the line is drawn is best. On the other hand, present them with a bound book of Do’s and Dont’s and they might clam up. Which leads to the importance of number two…
2 – Promote employee participation. Encourage staff to engage in social media in their free time. Once they have the chance to become familiar with the sites’ capabilities and functions on their own terms, they can start to see how these functionalities apply to achieving company and client goals. They are able to find business value in the same platforms they use to stay in touch with friends, invite people to events, and exchange information and apply it to your clients’ needs/goals.
3 – Keep your ear to the ground. What are people saying about you (or your clients) already? You might find people aren’t saying anything— so give them something to talk about! Post industry white papers, interesting news articles, and engage in discussions. Seek out topics that are already popular and join the conversation with your own industry angle.
4 – Have a plan of attack. How often should you update your company social media profiles? Which staff member(s) will be in charge of generating content and granting approval? Employees might not immediately be comfortable making suggestions or volunteering information to post or Tweet—at SDI, they start by asking the team at the end of staff meetings.
5 – Involve your interns. The great thing about involving interns in social media initiatives is that many generation Y-ers already engage in social media in their free time. They have incentive to stay in the loop about trends, new ways to interact, and they’re the ones seeing viral campaigns first. We saw this during the 2008 presidential election, where the 18-24 demographic found myriad ways to discuss the candidates and issues important to them. Many subscribed to text message updates, became a candidate’s Facebook fan, and used Twitter to micro-blog their thoughts and connect with others. At SDI, they love when their interns speak up at brainstorming sessions with a non-traditional idea that we can explore.
6 – Bring out that ruler. Goals are important– you have to define success before you can measure it. Do you have a target in mind for Twitter followers after a month of effort? Facebook fans/friends? Are people engaging in conversation with you? Is the interaction positive, negative, or neutral? Ask the little questions until you know enough to answer the big one: Has our time been well spent?
7 – Live and learn! The social media landscape is changing day by day minute by minute – it is important to reevaluate and readjust as the social media universe evolves.
Susan Davis International can be found in Sourcebook