Email is Alive

Social Media and the Corporate Attack Plan

I’m an avid Tweeter, Emailer, Facebooker and I love everything – Internet. My daily world consists of multiple social applications running, Exact Target glaring into my face and Google Analytics giving me more data than my brain can handle. I’ve learned to multi-task on a level that would make chefs jealous using a myriad of alt+tab and precise mouse clicks – it’s my life.

Through this submersion into everything online I’ve come to appreciate and understand the purpose of each social community; I’m careful not to tread heavily in certain arenas due to the receptive nature of each community. However, the value of each community is still equal to one another, just not applicable to the same tactics – i.e. Twitter and Facebook are both of equal social importance, but not equal in receptiveness depending on the tactics of the campaign. Some would argue in the B2B space that LinkedIn is the vehicle to channel due to its corporate focus; I would say that’s not always the case. (But I’ve been proven wrong before) Point being; each social channel has its benefits and can be leveraged in tandem with other to create a strengthened presence online. To limit a company to one would not only be a narrowly focused attempt at social marketing, it would create a one dimensional approach to a multi-dimensional problem.

So, you say, “How do I implement a strategy that encompasses more than one channel?” I’ll tell you; find the voice of your company within each of the channels and actively pursue the users in that space with relevant engagement. You say, “HOW?” Well, that depends on the channel, right? Right.

Think of it like this. Facebook is a ‘Friend-based community’, approach these people as ‘friends’ and treat them as such. Don’t think that you can get away with a sales pitch to your friends, it won’t work. However; you can provide them information that may profit you – as long as it profits them too. i.e. – A brewery gives up information on a new seasonal beer and the date the beer becomes available. “Why is this relevant? It’s not selling anything.” Au contraire mon frère – The brewery just gave valuable information to it’s ‘friends’ about beer they may be interested in. Therefore, they go out and buy it. The brewery didn’t need to say, “Buy our beer”. It simply updated its ‘friends’ on a new release.

A different approach should be used for Twitter; this community is ‘Follower based’ allowing the ‘Followed’ to apply more implied direction than Facebook. The followers are more engaged in what’s said, BUT are looking for valuable information. Twitter is a real-time micro blogging platform that’s most valuable when leveraged multiple times a day, creating an active feed worth following. A once a week/month Twitter account isn’t going to receive as much attraction due to the nature of the community – it’s fast and furious with an unquenchable desire to consume. The more you Tweet relevant data – the more followers you’ll receive, giving the account more authority in the Twittersphere.

Using the appropriate approaches in each community is the key to the effectiveness of the campaign. Social media is exactly what is says, social. A company can’t  insert itself into a community without making friends and playing by the rules and expect to succeed. The community decides who’s welcome. Respecting the community and applying marketing efforts appropriately to the attributes of the people involved plays volumes in growth and viral affect of the campaign as well, adapting to the community is where the most value is found. The community won’t adapt to the marketing, it’s vice versa.

To conclude; take the time to evaluate who in the organization would be best for these efforts. There are natural online socialites that will carry these efforts without skipping a beat. Forcing unsaavy marketing employees to update Twitter 10x a day isn’t the right approach, choose someone already involved in the community and who has already established a following or a friend base (They may even be in Accounting – I know, scary right?). These people are priceless for corporate insertion into the online social world – they know the rules, they know the people and they like to do it. Why not pay them for it?