As more companies encourage their employees to act as brand ambassadors in the social media space, creating a a clear and effective internal strategy is neccessary to ensure that activities and conversations are monitored and represent the image and identity of the brand in the right way. Just like any other form of PR or marketing activity, it is key for companies to set clear objectives from the start, highlighting what they want to achieve through social media activity -- whether it's increased footfall, increased online sales, click-throughs, or simply increased visibility and awareness.
One of the first aspects many companies emphasize when engaging in social media is the importance of a consistent overall message and tone-of-voice adopted by employees. When engaging with customers and fans in the social space, employees become a personalized representation and extension of the brand. That said, it is also vital that companies create the right balance between remaining consistent and being overly restrictive. By its very nature, social media is all about conversations, engagement, and interactions. As a result, responses to comments on Facebook and Twitter -- as well as conversations across multiple social media -- should always appear natural and personalized rather than formulated and rigid. Undoubtedly, those companies that approach social media engagement with transparency and personality while keeping a consistent brand message will see the most success.
Similarly, another key consideration that many organizations focus upon is the creation and communication of clear social media guidelines. These guarantee that everyone within the company is on the same page and has all of the information required to keep engagement effective and on-brand. From basic effective-use guidelines, privacy policies, and confidential materials, through to crisis management and support on how to react to negative comments, social media guidelines are essential to providing employees with a clear reference point and an understanding of how to add value through social media engagement. Many companies are also starting to put a series of social media training sessions in place to equip employees with everything they need to know -- not just with regard to how they should approach social media, but in making sure they have the appropriate level of knowledge when it comes to engaging with customers about the brand offering.
With an ever-growing number of conversations taking place across multiple social media networks between employees, customers, and fans alike, it is also important for companies to keep track of what is being said about their brands, services, and products. In doing this, companies are better placed to proactively respond quickly, appropriately, and effectively. For example, through the use of an effective social media monitoring platform, brands will find themselves better positioned to respond to negative comments, identify possible risks, and protect the fans and users of their Facebook pages and Twitter feeds. Monitoring tools also aid in tracking the progress and coordination of social media activity across multiple client teams, ensuring the brand message is being delivered in the right way across the board.
Of course, the more people talking about your brand and starting conversations related to the brand, the better. By encouraging employees to create sparks of conversations in multiple areas, companies will extend their social reach beyond that of simply relying on a centralized account. However, it is also important to maintain the right balance between who is talking about the brand. For example, the ratio between the number of comments and posts from employees needs to always remain balanced with the number of customers, potential customers, and fans that are also engaging. Ideally, most of the discussions and engagement around the brand will be from fans and customers rather than employees dominating the conversations. The focus should always be on employees posting content and questions that create a two-way interaction between the spokesperson of the brand and the audience, with the overall aim being that engagement develops toward becoming predominantly fan-to-fan and customer-to-customer interactions.
Social media provides brands with an opportunity to connect with their target audience in a format that other forms of traditional PR and marketing activities cannot. It enables brands to interact and engage in a more personalized and conversational way, shaping better relationships with their fans, customers, and potential customers as a result. One of the key assets that many companies are now recognizing when it comes to social media is the potential and value that already exists in utilizing employees as spokespeople for the brand in the social media space. As is the case with any form of customer-focused activity, the most important element is that the strategy, guidelines, and objectives are all in place first before engaging, and that the appropriate monitoring and management platforms are available to ensure activities and progress are coordinated effectively.
Calum Brannan is CTO and founder of CrowdControlHQ.
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