A holistic program
"I am looking for a social media agency-of-record."
Sound familiar? If you work in the social media space, you have probably heard this more than once. What's perplexing about it is that much of the time brands have a hard time articulating why they need one.
Why are such smart people so confused? Well, just like the term "interactive," "social media" means different things to different people. And if you're speaking to an agency, that definition is probably closely aligned with what it sells. That probably explains why in a recent survey by Reardon Smith Whittaker, 66 percent of agencies said they are on the cutting edge of maximizing client presence in the social and digital space. Clearly, at least a few are thumping on a hollow chest.
The reality is that an agency by itself cannot put a brand on the cutting edge of social media. One of the key principles of being successful in the social arena is being authentic. That means the brand can't just rely on others to be social for them.
At the same time, there are many ways that an agency partner can support and help drive success for brands. The first step in doing this successfully is to understand the various components of a comprehensive social media program and where and when it makes sense to look outside of your organization for support.
The social experience design framework portrayed above provides an organized approach to developing a holistic social program that acknowledges the diverse applications of social media within an organization. Some companies understand this. Some don't.
In this article, I'll walk you through the components of this framework. My hope is that it will help you to design an effective social experience at your organization.
