Why do you need a social media consultant?
- 17 Comment
Case in point. I recently received this urgent email:
Hi Sarah! I am in desperate urgent need of some advice please. I just launched <removed> onto Facebook today. That’s a good thing, right? Well, I really thought I’d set my Wall Settings to NOT allow anyone to make any comments on my posts. Already people are making comments! I really don’t know what I’m doing wrong. So confused. When I visit the “Wall Settings” page it LOOKS like I’ve set it up correctly.
While so far the comments are positive, once <removed> and the wider community starts getting on our Facebook page it’ll just be a matter of time before I become inundated with comments to respond to …. and some of the comments turn ugly.
I hope you can understand why I really can NOT let people make comments. This could become a big problem very quickly. Not only will that become a massively time-consuming task for me to constantly monitor the comments (time which I truly do NOT have, unfortunately), but I’ll end up having to censor/block certain posts or people. I really DO NOT want to have to censor people!
I emailed Facebook administration an hour ago to ask for help. But my heart is racing. I emailed thousands of <removed> today telling them to join our Facebook page, and we made a special announcement to all of our <removed> too. The more people who become Fans before I get this problem solved, the more people who will notice when I finally solve this problem and block comments. Please help me Sarah! I don’t know who else to turn to.
My reply:
Dear <removed>,
When jumping into social media please remember that it is social. This implies conversation, engagement and two-way communication. If you want to have a site where you can post information (and not allow people to respond) I recommend using your website.
Before integrating social media as one of your communications and/or community relations tactics, I typically recommend businesses (brands, etc) begin with a strategy. What do you want to accomplish? What is the opportunity? How does this fit your current social media strategy? Once you know that, then think about work flow. I think you recognized after launching the page that it takes time and energy to maintain. When you enter the world of social media, you make a promise to be available in another platform. The third thing we typically talk about is social media policy. This includes:
- How employees can (or not) use the tools
- Time commitment staff will dedicate to outreach and response (e.g. Alerting the community that employees will respond to requests during the hours of X and X.)
- What to do in case of derogatory or otherwise inappropriate comments
- An exit strategy (VERY important if you decide to end social media use)
- Sustainability action plan (i.e. if you’re not there who is responsible and how do they use)
Last, but not least, before jumping in to social media I encourage brands to think about their voice and “how” their social media presence will emerge. Is it the voice and face of the CEO or PR spokesperson? The logo?
- Strategy (what is your end goal)
- Policy and usage guidelines
- Work flow and responsibility
- Face/voice of online platforms
17 Comments on this post
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Katy Ryan said:
Sarah, you hit the nail on the head in your reply. I could sympathize with the individual’s panic, but in my opinion, the beauty of social media lies within that key word: “social.” Maintaining a conversation and responding to comments, both good and bad, is certainly time-consuming. I strive for that balance myself, as I promote my career endeavors, and also help others with their social media strategies. But you highlighted a key step that I think many miss when they launch their social media platform, and that’s to fully think through the campaign before it begins. You wouldn’t necessarily start a business without a solid business plan in place, and the same applies to a social media strategy. Using sites like Facebook and Twitter may seem more informal than other avenues, but these sources and others have the power to deliver some truly transformative results (both positive and negative) that can certainly impact the course of a business. Having a strategy in place, or even dedicating some capital to hire a social media strategist, is not only a smart investment — in today’s digital age, it’s a solid step on which you’ll continue your climb to success.
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Come say hi on Twitter: @katywritesMay 4th, 2010 at 11:05 am -
PRsarahevans said:
Right on, Katy! Thank you for sharing and keep up the great work.
May 4th, 2010 at 11:11 am -
Chris Syme said:
Great advice. I wish we could all understand the importance of “strategy first, tactics second.” I’ve heard that approach likened to someone throwing stones over a wall trying to hit a target they can’t see. I am in the middle of writing a series of blog entries aiming at helping college sports information people understand how to write social media policy before they get involved in social media marketing. Trouble is, everybody already jumped in the pool without any idea how deep it is and they’re not sure how to swim. The point of your post I love is, if you use social media, you are committing to being social, talking with people, not at them. I would recommend people come up with a strategy of dealing with negative posters before you start up on Facebook rather than just deleting what you don’t want to see. Your advice about using the website instead of Facebook is right on. Remember Nestle.
May 4th, 2010 at 12:08 pm -
Jason Keath said:
“Wait you mean those customers hanging out in front of my store want to talk to me? They have questions and complaints and suggestions. Why would I want to talk to them, I don’t have time to leave my desk and talk to customers. Can we put a Do Not Disturb sign out there maybe?”
Great points Sarah. The question “Why?” needs to be asked more after businesses realize they “need to be on Facebook” or “need to be on Twitter”.
May 4th, 2010 at 1:36 pm -
PRsarahevans said:
Chris and Jason: Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I hesitated whether to post this example, but did so in the hopes of creating a living case study. Keep the feedback coming!
May 4th, 2010 at 3:14 pm -
Monica Ricci said:
Let’s also remember that often times, the people who are negative about your company end up being your biggest fans, DEPENDING on how you handle their complaint. So yes, it’s a little scary to open yourself up to ALL commentary, but you can’t just be open to the positive.
May 4th, 2010 at 3:50 pm -
David Spinks said:
I think your advice was pretty solid. When you build a presence on a new social platform, you’re making a commitment to maintaining and interacting on that platform. If you want to keep it close, you’re right, facebook probably isn’t where you want to be.
My advice: embrace it. The fact that you have customers talking on your page is a problem that many companies would love to have. They’re going to talk whether you’re there or not, so it’s probably better that you are.
If your customers are leaving negative comments, the problem isn’t facebook. Figure out why these customers are leaving negative comments, respond to them, and then do something to fix it.
Should you be on facebook in the first place? If one of your goals is to improve customer service, satisfaction and loyalty, then this is a good way to that. Now speak with someone like Sarah who can help you formulate an organized strategy, and get it done!
David, Scribnia.com
May 4th, 2010 at 4:07 pm -
PRsarahevans said:
Thank you for the love, David.
May 4th, 2010 at 4:12 pm -
Forex Indicators said:
I agree with David. Something it is through the bad comments and how you respond to them that really impress your audience.
Allowing some interaction in facebook will show the human side of your business. Imagine the CEO or the management answering questions on facebook, this will make people trust you more.
This is my personal opinion.
May 4th, 2010 at 9:06 pm -
Amy Lamparske said:
Interesting discussion – I will share with my PR guy as he’s looking to use YouTube in this same fashion! It’s hard being the only social media person in a room typically filled with brand marketers who lack the understanding of how beneficial dialogue and engagement can be and that social media is where it’s at – both from a consumer standpoint as well as where all things marketing related are headed.
May 4th, 2010 at 11:30 pm -
Umbro England said:
I wonder if ’social media’ isn’t the new ‘SEO’ as far as snake oil goes. There are lots of ‘experts’ popping up all over, and from what I know of these people.. it seems like a pretty solid list.
May 5th, 2010 at 10:54 am -
PHP Tutorial said:
The fact that you have customers talking on your page is a problem that many companies would love to have.
May 6th, 2010 at 12:36 pm -
Deanna Ferrari said:
I like how you used an actual e-mail to illustrate your point in this post. I can definitely relate – I have clients e-mailing me a few times a week with social media questions, and some very basic ones. The fact is, though, that they are paying me for my counsel and experience, and that’s what I’m going to give them. We as counselors have to be there to help our clients navigate the social world from the planning to execution stages and beyond. And sometimes, that means explaining to them what social is, exactly.
May 6th, 2010 at 1:29 pm -
Missy Jensen said:
Sarah,
As always, great advice. I really think the best take-aways were the considerations you pointed out: strategy, policy and usage guidelines, work flow and face/voice. Those are applicable to every and all social media initiatives, regardless of concern about negative comments, and all companies should evaluate those four before engaging on social sites.Keep up the good stuff…I’m always impressed.
Missy
May 6th, 2010 at 10:55 pm -
used tires said:
Sarah, that is a brilliant point that few realize. Even today, I’m dumbfounded to arrive at so many company or people’s Facebook pages only to found there’s no way to interact. And I almost feel like removing myself from that community. Certainly, it’s still useful to receive news updates and the like, but that can be done via a website, like you said. Hope more people realize the point behind social media like you explained to the e-mailer.
Till then,
Jean
May 7th, 2010 at 2:22 am -
PHP Tutorial said:
he point of your post I love is, if you use social media, you are committing to being social, talking with people, not at them.
May 7th, 2010 at 10:34 am -
direk izle said:
I agree with David. Facebook probably isn’t where he want to be.
May 12th, 2010 at 4:25 pm
