For the past 6 years, Points Group LLC has been managing social media accounts for small- to large-sized companies. Even after all these years of social media usage, I have noticed that most small- to mid-sized companies couldn’t answer the following questions in a meaningful way:
- Why are we using Twitter and social media?
- What do we want to accomplish?
- What are our measures of success?
Sounds basic? Yes, but fundamentally important. There are numerous reasons why this is the case.
Lack of understanding:
Most decision makers simply don’t understand social media. More often then not, these executives may not even be using social media personally, yet they direct the social media course a company will follow. Often the basis for the decision may be: “I don’t really understand it, but everybody says we need it, so let’s have a Twitter and Facebook account.” Sound familiar?
It’s about engagement, not sales:
Too often, companies try to focus on sales via social media. Fact of the matter is, it is about engagement and not sales. Sales come as a secondary benefit. However, there are also many other benefits, like improved customer service, customer experience, brand building and awareness. All of these elements are of paramount importance to any business and should never be underestimated.
Lack of concepts:
Social media is much more than pushing information out via Twitter. Think of it as a channel. How about offering it as a way for your customers to get in touch with your customer service group? How about offering allergy alert service to your patients via Twitter? How about utilizing your social media as a crisis management tool (would you have a plan for that)? These are just a few examples of more meaningful ways to use social media.
Every company can effectively and innovatively utilize social media. Nevertheless, the majority are still trying to figure out why and how? If you need help answering these questions, give us a call.
