Implementing a social media strategy for marketing, branding, or recruiting isn’t as daunting as it seems. Still, there are questions — not obvious at the start — that become very important as your social presence expands. Make sure you address these issues to get the most out of your social media initiatives.
I’m not talking about the easy questions, which I’ve outlined before. Those boil down to who your target audiences, what you want them to do, and how they respond. The more complicated questions affect not only your audience but your content and your workflow as well. Answer these to ensure smooth sailing.
1. What are your must-NOT-haves?
All my clients have must-haves: They must be on Instagram, or post humorous content, produce day-in-the-life YouTube videos of their employees. But when analyzing your competitors, be sure to note what they do wrong and what their weaknesses are. Learn from their mistakes. In my competitive analyses, I’ve seen brands that litter their tweets with @mentions and hashtags; brands that post two Facebook articles within five minutes of each other; and brands that ignore comments and replies. You may also find that your audience isn’t on Instagram after all, so you can safely drop it from your strategy — at least for now. Maybe your content does fine without any extra humor, or maybe video is too difficult or expensive for this year’s budget. Must-NOT-haves can be just as useful as must-haves…and they’re always free!
2. What are key dates on your calendar?
There are important days for your company: New product launches, company anniversaries, hiring fairs. Your organization might also hold seasonal events, such as a hiring spree near graduation time, or special offers around the winter holidays. Plan your social media posts for those events in advance to build buzz and awareness. Make sure someone is there to take photos and tweet, so that your fans (or job-seekers or employees) can follow along in real time and experience it no matter where they are. Of course, what this question really means is that you should have an editorial calendar for your social media content, taking advantage of any important dates to increase interaction and conversions.
3. Who will create and post your content?
The person who creates isn’t always the one who posts. Social media recruiters may find photos coming from marketing. Social marketers may get instructions from the C-suite. Multiple departments may want, or even think they have, final approval over posts. Making sure the workflow and approval process is clear to everyone involved is essential to an effective social media strategy. A weak link in the chain can lead to all kinds of very public disasters, as well as hurt feelings — but also missed opportunities, as stakeholders who could have provided assistance or insights are wrongly sidelined. A clear social media policy, with agreed-upon procedures for likely scenarios (i.e. someone complains on Twitter and tags CNN), can make sure everyone knows what’s expected of them. While we’re on the subject: who’s creating and posting the content when the regular person is on vacation? Better put that on the calendar mentioned in question 2.
4. Will you support your social media through other materials?
This often requires the help from colleagues outside your department. People won’t know about your social channels if they’re not highlighted throughout your materials and documents. First and foremost, that means a prominent placement on your website (and careers site for social recruiting). It also means adding URLs, shortened links, and/or icons to your letterhead, business cards, brochures, presentations, and “leave-behinds.” Micro-sites, splash pages, and your LinkedIn company page as well. And your social channels should mention each other! Put your Twitter handle on your Facebook page, a Facebook link on your Instagram, your Instagram on your YouTube, etc. Even if followers of one platform don’t follow you to another, it’s important that they know you’re engaged on multiple channels and are keeping up with your competitors. Any organization — even a non-profit — that’s not on a few social media platforms looks old-fashioned and unattractive to customers and job-seekers alike.
5. What do you want people to do after reading your content?
The answer often eludes organizations who are entering the social space for the first time. Social media is great, and follows, likes, shares, and comments are wonderful, but what are your actual goals? Do you want fans to click a certain link, apply for a job, read an article, download a paper, buy a product, visit your website? If so, your strategy should be tailored to that outcome. A goal like “brand awareness” or “recognition as an employer of choice” is fine, but it helps to have some kind of metrics to make sure you’re on the right track. In cases like those, shares, retweets, and repins are more valuable than simple favorites or likes, which Ford Motor Company’s social media director called nothing more than “digital grunts.” Determining objectives and benchmarks will keep your content from seeming aimless — and ensure your realize social media’s full potential for your organization.
Brandemix has ten years of experience in creating social strategies for marketing, branding, employer branding, and recruiting initiatives on both small and large scales. View our most successful work, download our exclusive Social Media Marketing Strategy Guide, or contact us for more information.
Jason Ginsburg is Director of Interactive Branding at Brandemix.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jody Ordioni is the author of “The Talent Brand.” In her role as Founder and Chief Brand Officer of Brandemix, she leads the firm in creating brand-aligned talent communications that connect employees to cultures, companies, and business goals. She engages with HR professionals and corporate teams on how to build and promote talent brands, and implement best-practice talent acquisition and engagement strategies across all media and platforms. She has been named a "recruitment thought leader to follow" and her mission is to integrate marketing, human resources, internal communications, and social media to foster a seamless brand experience through the employee lifecycle.
