Here’s a quick guide for setting up your social media plan, whether you think you need one now or not. News flash: it’s land grab out there and if you’re caught napping your brand could suffer. Just like getting a URL for your company, you need to claim your name and begin to understand how to use these new tools to communicate with people. Here’s a short guide for how to get started:
Adding Social Media Tools
Sign up for any and every social media service to reserve your company’s name. Whether you’re ready to develop content doesn’t matter; you don’t want someone else taking your company’s name first and possibly defaming it.
Profile setup:
- Use standard company email address
- Add your company information (address, phone #, fax, etc)
- Set privacy settings to be as open as possible and still within the social rules of the community. Your company won’t post anything secret, but sometimes “friends” or “connections” don’t want their social media communications out there.
- Sign up for email notifications and RSS feeds and put them into the corporate RSS reader account. Status emails should go to RSS through the email-to-RSS bridge.
Communications Guidelines
- Above all, new media communications should be honest and fair.
- Be responsible for what you and your employees write
- Respect copyrights and fair use
- Remember to protect confidential & proprietary info
- Show enthusiasm and love of your brand.
- Respond to all communication within 24 hours in this order: employees, old/repeat customers, vendors, affiliates, new customers, potential customers. Always mark something as being worked on or done as soon as you finish.
- Be authentic – Include your name and, when appropriate, your company name and your title. Consumers buy from people that they know and trust, so let people know who you are.
- Consider the audience – your readers include current clients, potential clients, as well as current/past/future employees. Consider that before you publish and make sure you aren’t alienating any of those groups.
- Employee’s private social media: companies can and will monitor employee use of social media and social networking web sites, even if they are engaging in social networking or social media use away from the office. Good judgment is paramount regardless of whether an employee’s online comments relate directly to their job.
Doing these things at a minimum will at least get your brands foot in the door. With this platform you will be perfectly positioned to create a social media strategy that has a real impact on sales growth.
