From Facebook, to Twitter, Flickr, Youtube, Google +, and many more; it’s becoming increasingly apparent that social media’s are going to govern the future of Internet navigation. Allowing for mass, instantaneous
communications, the benefits of social networking are seemingly endless. With that being said, the mismanagement of these communications avenues can develop into a marketing and public relations nightmare almost instantaneously. These disasters can be easily avoided, however by following a few simple tips:
1. Create a Social Media Policy
First and foremost, when utilizing social media to market a brand it is critical to set expectations and guidelines for what content is and is not acceptable. It is critical to eliminate any foul language, discriminatory or hateful content, and comments targeted towards your brand with a negative connotation. The most effective way to maintain your social media avenues thoroughly and consistently is with the implementation of a community manager, or contracting a third party agency to handle the content.
To take this strategy a step further, the professional or agency that is responsible for maintaining these outlets must be well versed in public relations best practices. The last thing your brand wants is for a community manager to post or react to a comment in a manner that will send your brand into a crisis management situation.
2. Know When it is Time for Crisis Management
When managing social media’s that allow for instant communication to hundreds, thousands, or even millions of viewers, it is imperative for your brand to know ahead of time when and how to handle potentially hazardous comments. The agency should have a firm understanding of what comments require an immediate response, and which comments should be left to marinate over time. Negative or untrue rumors and profane rants must be handled immediately, while a few modestly negative reviews and consumer based brand comparisons can be left (for the time being, at least) to extinguish themselves.
Furthermore, the community manager or agency should be aware of the seriousness of the negative sentiment posted and have a plan of action on how to handle the situation. It may be simply flagging the post and gathering information on the negative comments, but more serious issues may call for the community manager to issue a vague statement on the issue, or even take the time to carefully issue an official statement.
3. Consistency is Key
Regardless of what social media platform your brand is actively using, it is highly recommended that you maintain a level of consistency that your viewers will appreciate. Starting off with a steady flow of new content initially, only to have the pages sit dormant for weeks at a time can be a death sentence for your social media efforts. Each day creates new opportunities to reach out and network with potential customers, along with the ability to swiftly react to and douse complaints from disgruntled users.
Consistency across your social media’s also calls for uniformity with the content that is posted. It’s good to keep your page fresh by posting interesting tidbits each day, but throwing in irrelevant posts offers no benefit to your users, or to your marketing efforts for that matter.
4. Listen to the People
When it comes to effectively managing your social media’s, the community manager must listen to your viewers. An easy way to look at consumer feedback is to think of it like having an actual conversation with your viewers. Start the engagement by communicating a message to your audience, then listen to their feedback on how to improve, maintain, or eliminate the selected strategy. If you were to add a new widget to your Facebook brand page, it is critical to listen to the comments from your viewers and react accordingly.
Taking the idea of listening to your audience a step further, many successful social media managers utilize monitoring tools to track trends about their brand and review what is being said. This allows for swift crisis management and a consistent feel for consumer insights on various topics.
5. Be Interesting, but Keep it Original
Viewers on various social media platforms will only give your page a few seconds before they decide to either stay on the page or leave for greener pastures. An experienced agency or community manager can avoid high page bounce rates by incorporating interesting, original information that has value to the consumer.
Repeat or unoriginal content can be devastating to the credibility and reputation of a brands social media presence. Incorporating new promotions, consumer discussions and interesting tidbits about your brand are all beneficial, but the key to success is finding that “it” factor that keeps consumers coming back.