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Companies of all sizes are pushing to buckle down and implement effective social media plans. This is an encouraging trend. However, before a plan can be developed, organizations must determine how “social media” is defined and used in the business environment. The answers will vary among enterprises.
My good friend and fellow marketer Debbie Laskey and I recently discussed this issue. (Debbie calls it the ‘other’ social media policy.) She says, “companies can build the most carefully-planned social media strategy, but if employees don’t have specific ‘how to’ guidelines, confusion erupts and hands are slapped in the process.”
Is it acceptable to tweet while on a sales call? Who is responsible for uploading company photos to Facebook? Do employee LinkedIn contacts made during business hours belong to the company, or the employee? Is management harboring decisions on these important points, but failing to share them with employees?
The Green Buzz Agency Blog provides insight for Marketing Decision Makers and other fun people
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Social media can generate leads, engages prospects, fosters sales, and can be a vital cog in the company brand wheel. Therefore, it’s crucial that consistent social media policies are implemented to effectively grow your business and ensure the entire organization knows…and follows…the rules. Consistency is the name of the social media game – enhancing your reputation and showcasing industry expertise are too important to leave to chance.
Ready to tackle social media policy development? Consider these questions:
1. Will employees be allowed to use Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc. during business hours?
2. How much time, or which specific time periods, will be allowed on these sites? Only during the lunch hour and breaks?
3. Who is the designated spokesperson/people representing your company’s ‘voice’? Don’t designate “anyone” — choose wisely.
4. What style will be used when posting? Conversational and friendly? Business casual? Professional and formal? Make sure the style accurately represents your company’s culture.
5. Can employees access sites via company mobile devices? Will this pose a security risk?
6. Who ‘owns’ contacts made for business purposes? This is an especially important question for companies with sales forces.
Once your policy is in place, your next step is communicating the guidelines to your employees. New employees in particular should receive a copy of the social media policy in the new employee information packet.
Learn more by reviewing 160 social media policies other companies have implemented.
Victoria Ipri is CEO of Modello Media, Inc., an e-marketing strategy firm based in suburban Philadelphia, PA. She welcomes your questions and comments on this forum, or contact her directly at: Victoria@ModelloMedia.com
Feel free to connect with members of Green Buzz Agency on Linkedin: Tod Plotkin, Sara Evans, Jennie Nowers. Or join the Green Buzz Agency Linkedin Group.
Fern Mallis, widely credited with creating New York “Fashion Week” and former VP of Marketing at IMG, discusses marketing in the fashion industry.
Fern Mallis was interviewed by Green Buzz Agency after a panel she led on Social Media and Marketing at Afingo’s “Behind the Seams.” Presented at Manhattan’s world-famous Fashion Institute of Technology, “Behind The Seams” saw 30 top designers, apparel manufacturing insiders, head buyers of top retail chains, editors, and celebrity tastemakers to offer wisdom, opinions, and tips to a diverse audience of fashion fans.
The Green Buzz Agency Blog provides insight for Marketing Decision Makers and other fun people
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If you’ve built a profile on the Big Three social media sites, you may have been pleased about not having to defrost your credit card to do it. (Yes, a friend of mine once froze her credit cards in a bowl of water to ‘cold turkey’ her overspending.)
Sure, you can upgrade your LinkedIn membership and pay a variety of monthly fees to get more perks. But you don’t have to, and that makes millions of people very happy. Based on nothing but your creativity, ingenuity and inventiveness, you can promote your business for next to nothing.
How free is social media, really? About as free as starting your own business.
Meaning, it’s not. Hence the phrase…next to nothing.
Gauging the true cost of social media is crucial in today’s marketplace. Which areas might end up costing you? Here are several to reflect upon:
Implementation
As you know by now, there is more to social media marketing than building a profile and waiting for something to happen. A ton of content goes into the best social media campaigns. Even if you’re a copywriter, it’s still going to cost you time (which, ultimately, means money). Images cost too. Getting targeted help can cost if you hire an ‘expert’ to point the way, or buy books and other materials. As well, some social media platforms charge for functionality. You may not care now, but as you grow, you will. And when you get there, you may find you need help from a social media manager, either in-house or outsourced, to keep everything running efficiently.
Promotion
You’ve heard of Starbucks? They are the Facebook leader. And they didn’t get there by accident. You may never aspire to Starbucks fame, but even in your own tiny corner of the world, promoting your campaign requires a budget, as well as a skilled graphics designer and perhaps a web designer to create advertising.
Tracking
Google Alerts are great. TwitterDeck rocks. But some day, hopefully soon, you’ll need to upgrade to Radian6 or another paid tracking tool. The freebies just aren’t going to cut it.
The Green Buzz Agency Blog provides insight for Marketing Decision Makers and other fun people
Engagement
As recently as a year ago, it was all about SEO. Today, it’s about CRO…Conversion Rate Optimization. What good is all that traffic if it doesn’t convert to real sales? Engagement requires focused landing pages, keywords, email, a website, split testing…a host of functions that require tools, and they’re not all free.
Analysis & Reputation Management
Analysis tells you where you’re heading, and when you will arrive. Along the way, analysis, combined with tracking, can assist with reputation management…an emerging industry which seeks to delete or contain negative brand conversations. If you’re not watching listening and responding, what’s it all for?
Personnel
Who’s doing all this work? In many cases, staff. Customer service, design, technology, administrative tasks…you’re only one person, and can only go so far all alone. Your time is an opportunity cost…not to mention the time/paycheck of a staff member…perhaps even additional staff to engage and communicate with perhaps thousands of connections.
Yes, social media can be free…but not for long.
How are you navigating your way through your own social media campaign?
Victoria Ipri is CEO of Modello Media, Inc., an e-marketing strategy firm based in suburban Philadelphia, PA. She welcomes your questions and comments on this forum, or contact her directly at: ModelloMedia@gmail.com
Feel free to connect with members of Green Buzz Agency on Linkedin: Tod Plotkin, Sara Evans, Jennie Nowers, and Jared Lee. Or join the Green Buzz Agency Linkedin Group.
Nearly every day, someone asks me, “What’s the best way to get started on LinkedIn?”
Most articles on this topic begin by spouting the ‘steps’ to connecting with others.
I’d like to begin even earlier in that process and talk about you.
Remember how Mom used to say, “Just be yourself and people will like you!” or “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all”?
Mom was way ahead of her time.
The real question isn’t, “What’s the best way to get started on LinkedIn?”, but “What’s the best way to prepare myself to get started on LinkedIn?”
You’ve probably heard or read quite a bit about authenticity, transparency and integrity; three key elements to social media success. But can displaying these qualities actually make a difference?
Very simply…absolutely. For anyone looking to really connect on LinkedIn, here’s the starting point. LinkedIn (in fact, social media in general) is about people…helping, sharing and connecting. If your neighbor’s lawn mower breaks down and he or she asks to borrow yours, you’d likely say yes, because the two of you have a relationship. You also inherently recognize your neighbor will return the favor, or perhaps another type of favor, if you asked. If a total stranger were to knock on your door with the same question, you’d likely say no and immediately think, “The nerve!”
The Green Buzz Agency Blog provides insight for Marketing Decision Makers and other fun people
A genuine, authentic approach to connecting with others is vital. Wrap your brain around this ‘helping’ attitude before you begin. If potential LinkedIn connections smell ‘a pitch’, you’re done before you start. No pitch should be necessary when you’re connecting on a deeper level that says, “Let me help you, just because I can.”
How can you help? Be you; be real; don’t falsify who you are. Get involved in and create stimulating, informative valuable discussions others can debate generally, or post your comments and thoughts more privately within groups you have joined.
As people begin to know and trust you, lead generation will begin. This is a two-fold process:
1) As you listen to the real needs of others, you help solve their challenges.
2) When you give help, you get help in return.
I often joke that I keep my expectations low; therefore, I’m never disappointed, but often delighted. It’s not much of a joke, because it’s true. Relationship building takes time. That connection may blow you off with a polite comment today, but may be knocking on your door tomorrow, because you’ve taken the right steps to remain top of mind.
Social media is a marathon, not a sprint. Wishing for it to move faster isn’t going to make it so. You’ve got to do the legwork required. Over time, you’ll be glad you did, as your online reputation and credibility grow.
Interact at an authentic level with everyone you meet, and watch the real magic happen.
Victoria Ipri is CEO of Modello Media, Inc., an e-marketing strategy firm based in suburban Philadelphia, PA. She welcomes your questions and comments on this forum, or contact her directly at: ModelloMedia@gmail.com
Feel free to connect with the newest members of Green Buzz Agency Marketing department on Linkedin: Jennie Nowers, Brittney Grove, Jared Lee, and Jennie Ryon. Or join the Green Buzz Agency Linkedin Group.
Many clients in the health care industry have recently come to us with questions about social media. Many of them want to know why social media matters and where it should fit into their marketing plans. Others want to know where to get started and how to build and maintain a successful Facebook Page, Twitter Account, YouTube Channel or blog. But more and more, clients are simply looking for help understanding the social media landscape and how it impacts health care decisions.
While there is no easy answer to any of these questions, there are a few things you should know if you’re thinking about developing a social media strategy for your hospital or organization:
61% of American Adults Look Online for Health Information
The number of American adults who looked for health information online has doubled in under a decade. That’s according to a 2009 Pew Internet Research study, which found that 61 percent of adults look online for healthcare information, while only 25 percent of American adults looked online for this information in 2000.
Three-quarters of American adults aged 18 or older, have access to the Internet either at home or at work. Eighty-three percent of those users have looked online for information about health topics ranging from information about a specific disease, treatments, alternative medicine, health insurance, health care providers, medical facilities and ways to stay healthy.
The Green Buzz Agency Blog provides insight for Marketing Decision Makers and other fun people
24% of Patients Have Consulted Reviews of Medical Facilities Online
Just as more Americans turn to the Web to find recommendations on restaurants and local vendors, patients visit blogs and websites to find rankings and reviews of doctors, hospitals and medical facilities. According to Pew, health consumers looking for information, inspiration and support often turn to blogs or websites with user-generated rankings or reviews to find solutions:
• 41% of patients have read someone else’s commentary or experience about health or medical issues on an online news group, website or blog
• 24% of patients online have consulted rankings or reviews of doctors or providers
• 24% of patients online have consulted rankings or reviews of hospitals or medical facilities
More than 700 U.S. Hospitals Use Social Networking Tools
More and more patients look to connect directly with healthcare providers via social networking platforms like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. In addition to using the Web for health information and disease support, patients want information and updates in real-time, just like they get from others in their online communities.
Hospitals have started to get the picture, using social networks to connect with consumers, making it easier for patients to better understand products and services, and allow health providers to demonstrate clinical expertise, build trust and deliver valued information to an engaged audience.
In June 2010, Found in Cache, an online resource for health care professionals, found that 744 U.S. hospitals were active on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube: 549 Twitter Accounts, 513 Facebook Pages, 337 YouTube Channels
60% of Patients Active Online Say Using the Web Affected a Medical Decision
Online health queries impact medical decisions. Among patients who researched health information online, the majority of respondents said the Internet had an impact on their own health or the way they care for someone else. Of the information found online:
• 60% said it affected a decision about how to treat an illness or condition
• 56% said it changed their overall approach to maintaining their health or the health of someone they care for
• 53% said it led them to ask a doctor new questions, or to get a second opinion
• 49% said it changed the way they thought about their diet, exercise or stress management
• 38% said it affected their decision to see a doctor
• 38% said it changed the way they cope with a chronic condition or manage pain
Takeaway for Health Care Professionals: Social Media is Part of Our Culture
“It’s time to get rid of the term ‘social media’ and call it ‘media,’ because there really isn’t a difference,” according to Shel Holtz, principal of Holtz Communications and the media manager for the Mayo Clinic. Today, eight of the top 20 most visited websites in the U.S. are social media based:
Top Sites in the United States
1. Google 2. Facebook 3. Yahoo 4. YouTube 5. Amazon 6. Wikipedia 7. Craigslist 8. eBay 9. Twitter 10. WindowsLive 11. Blogger 12. MSN 13. Myspace 14. Go 15. AOL 16. Bing 17. CNN 18. Linkedin 19. ESPN 20. Wordpress
Updated June 29, 2010 from Alexa.com
As you can see, social media connects health care providers to patients, while helping to accomplish marketing goals. While the Internet is no substitute for health care professionals and the care they provide, it can help hospitals and healthcare providers reach patients who are deepening their engagement with the online world.
Can information about your hospital, clinical expertise or services be found in the places people are looking?
If not, now is the perfect time to get started!
Anna Heatherly is an Account Executive at Virilion in Washington, DC and an award-winning internet marketer with five years experience in digital strategy and public relations. Specializing in a variety of digital marketing tactics including advertising, email, search and social media, Anna has helped dozens of clients navigate the digital landscape to achieve their business goals. At Virilion, Anna helps clients reach online influencers, build and activate communities across the web, and utilize digital channels to drive awareness and advocacy. She can be reached at AHeatherly@Virilion.com . Follow @Virilion and @AnnaHeatherly on Twitter for more updates and information on social media and the web.
