The #socialmedia #marketing content that is being published for companies by their rookie social media staff is typically news, events, rants and raves with a small percentage of high-quality brand activated content. Although the quality of social content and user engagement is on the rise, the overall brand usage of social media is really only informing and developing a low level of engagement. Here’s my question. Does personal socialmedia talent really work in businesses? I ask the question because companies probably don’t have a great strategy in place, or even one at all. Social channels are being thought of as an outbound channel and not being filtered through a strategy that requires concepts like persona, sales funnel, customer path, goals, CTAs and measurement to be considered before a post is submitted.
Here’s an example: When you see a Facebook, twitter or Instagram post from your friend, what are they communicating? Usually it’s something like this. “Look what I have done” or “I’m here on vacation,” “I just bought new shoes,” “I’m here at the restaurant having dinner with friends.” This type of social banter may be fine for people like you and me with our friends, but it’s not good for businesses that are trying to be credible, profitable and sustainable.
Here’s my suggestion for those of you that are thinking of hiring college grads who say they have loads of social media experience. The week they come on board, provide them with brand guidelines and a social media content strategy for the company. Let them know they MUST follow these guidelines for each and every post. This will not only help them by giving them strategic direction, but it will also help you save lots of time and headaches. Why? Because you won’t have to dig your company’s reputation out of the toilet because your new social media person posted content that was unacceptable.
Yourbrandexposed.com is designed to look at digital with an eye into the future with a creative, innovative marketing angle. A digital-business perspective for marketers!