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Steering the Social Media Ship

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The stories of revolutions are often brutal: someone gets marched to the guillotine, hoisted from their own petard, stood before the firing squad, or exiled to some desolate rock.  There is little doubt about it, the internet and social media have brought about a true revolution in business communications, the likes of which we haven’t experienced since the proliferation of the Gutenberg press – and that helped bring about the Reformation, the Counter-Reformation, and ensuing political turmoil across Europe for more than a century afterwards.

With the social media revolution, leaders can be forgiven for waking up at two in the morning with night-sweats. The rogue tweet by the slizzard employee; the YouTube video by hygiene-challenged pizza cooks; and the marketing campaign-turned-Facebook boycott are only a few of the stories. Perhaps we should be cautious about this social media business. Perhaps we should take a lets-wait-and-see-what-happens stance to social. Perhaps.

steering the social media ship

Then again, the world won’t stand still for our organization to join the revolution. Our competitors are performing swan dives into the social stream, gaining influence, becoming known to our customers, and becoming part of the conversations. They are getting the buzz, and engaging our customers, one-on-one. If we allow our competitors to assume the leadership role in our market, unseating could be challenging. On the bright side, being awake at 2:00 am will let you catch up with your friends in Europe.

To flourish in this revolution, business leaders must summon the leadership skills they have been honing for decades.  Leadership in social media follows what John Chambers, CEO of Cisco, said about Web 2.0, “it’s going from command and control to enable and facilitate.”  The famous military strategist John Boyd cited this approach in the success of Blitzkrieg strategy, and probably wielded the concept in planning for Desert Storm: leaders should provide a clearly defined objective, and enable their organizations to achieve the outcome.

In order to do that, leaders must focus on three basic elements. Of course, all organizations should establish social media policies, monitor social media for mentions of the brand and that of competitors – that’s just good housekeeping.  Enabling and facilitating your social presence requires:

  1. Clear desirable outcomes
  2. Passion behind the brand
  3. Clearly-defined brand personality and voice

What we want from it all…

Goals and objectives don’t comprise the entire picture of desired outcomes. There is a whole landscape of desired outcomes that include purpose, vision, goals, objectives, and the ultimate metrics that will matter.  The wise marketing planner will work with leaders to flesh-out this landscape, and then share it across with everyone who might be a part of the social communications.

Brand Passion

Organizations must develop a clear concept of the passion behind the brand.  Jonathan Mildenhall, VP of Global Advertising Strategy and Creative Excellence at the Coca-Cola Company, said that their competition wasn’t the beverage in the blue can – but instead, companies like Pixar and Disney – that Coca-Cola was in the happiness business. That’s a passion behind a brand.

When you observe Nike communicating on Facebook, you will seldom hear of them promoting sports shoes. Instead, you’ll see them celebrating people overcoming their physical limitations to do great things. That’s a passion behind a brand. When an organization develops and clearly articulates the passion behind their brand, even a purveyor of dish soap can take on a powerful voice in social media.

The Brand Speaks

In the 1960’s, when advertising agencies first focused on the idea that brands have personalities, it helped to clarify and focus brand communications.  In this age of social media, brands not only appear on TV ads and billboards, but become participants in one-on-one conversations. Having a clearly defined personality and voice is a must-have. Lacking that, your social communications will be fragmented, and ineffective in communicating that passion behind the brand.

The most common fumble that modern leaders are making today in regards to social media is the insistence upon a one-step financial return from social media. The return on social is complex, covering all aspects of the customer relationship, from brand awareness to advocacy. Participation in the right communities can increase loyalty and reduce risk. Financial return is important, but remember, this is a revolution – there are enormous consequences for those that fail, and tremendous opportunities for those that thrive, the least being a good night’s sleep.

What else is required for leaders and businesses steering the social media ship? Join the discussion below.

The post Steering the Social Media Ship appeared first on Sensei Marketing.


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