Internet Marketing - Matt Bailey [227]
Social media in a large company has to be established as part of the overall online message and focus for the company. Specific messages for new customer acquisition, client retention, and company marketing need to be developed and refined, all with a specific destination and a purpose for how the message will be sent and how visitors will follow the links. The goal for the visit needs to be clear, and the goals will most likely be different for each target group.
The social-media campaign within a large company cannot act independently. It must be tracked by the analytics and run in concert with the development of landing pages, videos, Facebook posts, and website updates. The website must match the message and present a clear and consistent message to the public. When the online marketing team is operating as a team, the social-media message is effective, because it is backed by the creativity necessary to present the message, and all aspects of the marketing are measured and analyzed for effectiveness.
A Word about Interns
When I hear that a business plans to make interns the primary line of action for social media, I shudder. The best advice I can give a business is that an intern should be the last person to manage the company’s blog, Facebook, or Twitter presence. There are functions that interns are certainly able to perform, but not the function of being responsible for communicating the message of the business, developing conversations with prospects and customers, and being an overall advocate for the business. This is a job for an employee who loves the company, loves the business, and is completely dedicated to their work.
Would you rather the first impression of your company be made by an excited employee or a summer intern? As a potential customer, would you rather be talking with an employee who has a deep knowledge about the company, the product, and the industry, or would you rather be talking with an intern?
Too many businesses learned this lesson the hard way when they let interns set up their Facebook pages or Twitter accounts. In addition, when the interns then left the business to go back to school, the social-media accounts lapsed, and no one kept up on them. When the business was able to get an employee to do something with them, they did not have access, because the accounts were set up by the interns using their email addresses. In some cases, interns used their personal or school email addresses, making it much more difficult to get access to the company Facebook page.
There are many interns who are fully capable and gifted at what they do, but they are there to learn business and marketing, not to run the social-media campaign. This is a first-line marketing communication, and the care of communicating a clear message should be left to those who love their business and can communicate well.
Plan Your Time Wisely
Time is an important consideration when developing a social-media presence that works for you. The availability of mobile devices that allow access to websites, blogs, Facebook, Twitter, and FourSquare allow you to update and post content while on the road. Additionally, the ability of mobile devices to take pictures and video allow for quick snapshots and videos to be taken and uploaded quickly, providing fast updates. This can be extremely effective when providing updates to your customers from a trade show or a seminar.
Blogs
Blogs require a significant investment. Especially if you are starting a new blog, the articles must come frequently; otherwise, there will not be enough consistent information for people to take notice. To get the attention of both people and search engines, there needs to be a significant amount of information and conversations taking place on the blog in the form of comments. If you are starting a new blog, plan on making