Here are a few things to consider to drive social media success.
1 – Know what is available so you ‘know social.’ There are good new things coming out often, you need to stay in touch. More importantly track all the updates on popular existing social media channels.
2 – Find out where your ‘birds flock.’ Track where your consumers hang out so you know where to find them. The best way to do so is to ask!
3 – Listen to your consumers, your front lines, & your peers to learn. Keep the feedback channel open and always keep listening.
4 – Put people behind your brand. Help them out with a strategy and then guide them along. Real people can have real conversations.
5 – Promote your social media channels. Let people know where to find you and what they can find on your channels.
6 – Draw out plays for the short term, measure your interactive success, & adjust to become better. Do this for four quarters & you can win the game.
7 – Elephants can’t surf! & monkeys don’t fly airplanes. Use good images to get a dialogue going but less Photoshop means more reality & a more likely conversation.
8 – Set a schedule and try to follow it consistently. Don’t let your conversations fade away & sporadic conversations are just as bad.
9 – Join conversations to build relationships. Don’t lead conversations all the time, instead listen to your consumers & let them lead the way.
10 – Solicit comments from your consumers. Encourage participation by asking questions & listening.
11 – Drive people to your other channels. Don’t just keep them on social media, let them know about your other sides. The web & other direct channels play a role in engaging the consumer.
12 – Promote your expertise. Answer questions authoritatively & become to the ‘go to site’ for people seeking answers.
13 – Have fun, don’t forget this is entertainment, education, & ‘selling.’ Actually, intelligent selling.
14 – Your goal is engagement over simply closing the deal. While it is great to get the deal, you need to engage the consumer to help engage your consumers ‘friends.’
15 – Use social media to build up your brand – highlight your accomplishments, your commitment, your service, your products, your service, & even your sense of ‘real’ community.
