Is Social Media Marketing Missing from Your Mix?

As seen in THE BEAT, December 2019. Subscribe here.

If you answered, “YES,” there’s a really good chance your reasons are more common than you realize. The most common reasons marketers claim social media is missing from their mix:

1. We don’t have anything worthwhile to share on social media
2. There’s no time/resources/experience on staff to handle it right
3. We don’t have budget to advertise on social media
4. Our execs don’t “get” social media
   1. or our company isn’t tech savvy
   2. or our customers and prospects aren’t on social media
5. We tried it but it didn’t work
6. The social community for our industry/products is small

If one or more of these reasons fit your situation, we’ve got some great advice to share with you.

First, don’t think of social media marketing as a one size fits all or all or nothing proposition. Rather, think about your organization’s values. How do they fit with those of the social media channel? Be selective. Select only the social platform(s) that support your business objectives. You absolutely do not have to be ever-present everywhere.

Case in point: Our contract manufacturing client, Kleen Test Products, dove into Facebook to help support its constant HR recruitment activities. They’re always hiring the next great employee and Facebook has helped them to showcase their talented employees, fun working environment and generous perks. Facebook is also a great platform for sharing the ways it is supporting its communities and the environment.

Second, admit when you need help. Getting a social media marketing plan in place can be a daunting task. There are a lot of parts to coordinate. And, they must be pieced together before you hit that “Post” button. Outsourcing the plan, platform(s) set-up and overall foundation will make the endeavor much less painful and you’ll see concrete results a lot faster.

Case in point: With the launch of a new website, our client – a private education institution – desired an overhaul for its bare minimum social media presence. To guide its overall social media strategy, Responsory recommended a comprehensive social media plan, including a mix of short-term (implement immediately) and long-term (implement over time or for future campaigns) deliverables. With this plan, topics list and schedule in hand, our client’s internal resources were able to hit the ground running.

Lastly, proactively form a social media posse for your organization. Leveraging the company’s social media marketing investment with brand ambassadors will exponentially expand your reach and credibility in the marketplace. When employees are included in social media efforts, they become powerful brand advocates who can help extend the reach of your content and connect with audiences on a completely new level. Plus, encouraging your employees to post and share content will not only represent your company well and drive traffic to your site, but it can also help each employee boost their personal brand and grow their professional networks. It’s a win-win.

Case in point: One-real world example of this tactic in action comes from The Intersect Group (TIG), a national consulting and staffing firm headquartered in Atlanta, GA. Named a top workplace year after year, TIG enlisted the multimedia and social media pros at Responsory to deliver a training program that would encourage colleagues to become TIG brand ambassadors and engage their professional networks on behalf of the organization. Responsory not only produced the training tool and a infographic handout summarizing key takeaways, but it also delivered the training presentation in-person at the company’s annual meeting. See it here.

Stop with the excuses and step up to the social media plate! With a bit of guidance and inspiration, your organization could be using social media to bolster your bottom line by increasing brand awareness, improving SEO and building customer relationships. If you’re looking for a helping hand, get in touch with the social pros at Responsory.