The views of this article are the perspective of the author and may not be reflective of Confessions of the Professions.
Award-Winning Social Strategy Company
Turning a blind eye to the rapid ascent of social media is a mistake for a business. The business landscape is changing quickly and it is advisable to not get left behind. The way we communicate has changed and is continuing to change. The days of business communications existing purely on the telephone and face to face have gone, as social media has broadened the horizons. It is immediate, direct and effective.
If you are serious about embracing social media and using it to your benefit, you should already have a strategy in place which is flexible yet easily manageable. The importance of it is paramount and it can make a huge difference to your relationships and reputation. It is essential to consider and value your brand identity within your social interactions. The perception of your company comes through its branding, and your social media needs to reflect your true values and brand.
Nick Taylor is a Marketing Executive at Forward Role, recent recipients of a prestigious social media award. Nick has outlined a few of the elements he believes contributed to an award-winning social media strategy.
CONFIDENT CONTENT: When publishing your social media content, do so with confidence and conviction. If you are experiencing trepidation before publication, this may be a sign it’s not a good idea. By being forthright and clear with your content, the reader/viewer will feed off your belief and is more likely to be grabbed.
KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE: Be aware of exactly who you’re aiming your message towards. You need your content to be relevant and meaningful to the people most likely to read it. Your strategy should have this covered already but make sure your publications aren’t full of jargon and waffle, and make sure they are going to be read.
BALANCE: Overloading and saturating your social media output with largely pointless material can be damaging and can lead to a loss in subscribers or followers. Share enough content to stay in the minds of your audience, but don’t go too far the other way. Your message can get lost in waffle, and trying to cram in too much information is not a good thing. Make your point and then get out.
TIME: Spend plenty of time planning, building and then executing your social media strategy. You might have your audience engaged but you need to keep them engaged. The analytical nature of producing alluring social media content demands attention and time, so give it the time it needs.
TWO WAY STREET: Be prepared for online business coming to you. You might miss a key opportunity to build further business relations. If you’re not responding to people who approach you with comments and questions it can be a huge turn off for your stakeholders. Inbound business will follow a successful social media campaign, so make sure you have people ready to deal with it. Don’t throw business down the toilet without even realising it.
