socializing social media: getting to ‘yes’ in four steps
DESCRIPTION
Social media has presented boundless opportunities for companies and agencies to engage customers, partners, prospects and new audiences through a variety of online initiatives. But the excitement of all social media has to offer can sometimes be elusive. While ‘experts’ at companies, schools and agencies are driving innovative communications platforms and projects, there are still those professionals that need convincing. They squawk: will this really lead to sales? Isn’t social media just for consumer brands? Won’t I lose control of my value proposition? The best way to approach the uncertainty of social media can be broken down into four basic steps – learn how to educate and manage executive expectations to reduce the level of apprehension or risk, and successfully get the green light to implement social media at your organization. *Note - I purposely kept each slide brief so I can talk about each topic and have more of a discussion around each point. If you have any questions about the slides, let me knowTRANSCRIPT
Socializing Social Media: Getting to 'Yes' in Four Steps
By Andrew Worob (@Worob)September 16, 2011
Who Am I?
What We’re Really Here to Talk About
• How to overcome the fears still associated with social media
• 4 core principles that can help lead to brand success with social media
The Big Questions to Answer
• Will this really lead to sales?
• How much is this going to cost me?
• Who manages this effort?
• What if people talk negatively about us?
But really, the main concerns brands have…
The Concern w/ Customer Service
“If you make customers unhappy in the physical world, they might each tell 6 friends. If you make customers unhappy on the Internet, they can each tell 6,000 friends.”
- Jeff Bezos, CEO at Amazon.com
The Concern of Wasting Money
• “Senior executives within a company do not think about social media.”
• “You never know how engagement will lead to sales.”
How To Overcome These Challenges
4 Steps That Can Help
Step 1: Demonstrate Passion
• Have a team of passionate individuals in place:
• They are the ones who aren’t afraid to THINK BIG
• They will speak to your audience like a real person
• Showcase your knowledge and understanding of the space (and the brand, of course)
A Passionate Brand
Step 2: Define Goals
• Why social media?• Drive sales? • Support customer service?• Crisis Communications?• Thought leadership?
• Develop and implement a plan that tackles the issues and can help generate desired success.
A Brand with a Plan
Step 3: Treat Customers Like Friends• Use social media to
demonstrate what a trustworthy, awesome friend you are
• Building a long-term relationship with current customers will help make you popular and attract new friends
Friendly Brands
Step 4: Commitment
• Make sure the team is comprised of people who WANT to work on the effort
• Reach out to all business units to ensure partnership and dedication at all levels
• Conduct an audit of competitor social media efforts
• Demonstrate knowledge of knowing the right tools to use
A Brand Committed
Summary
• Bottom line, it's never an easy task to eliminate concerns about the constantly evolving world of social media
• However, by taking the right actions it's possible to reduce the level of apprehension and get a brand on-board with doing social media, and doing it right
Thank YOUAndrew WorobManager, Digital CommunicationsRuder Finn/Finn Partners(212) [email protected]
@Worob
PR at Sunrise blog: worob.com