BGT Weighs In: Managing Social Media

Social media outlets are opening a Pandora’s Box of marketing uncertainty for companies that have traditionally enjoyed control over their brand equity and perception. Consumers now have a platform to voice their opinions that can at times illustrate a gap between the corporation’s and customers’ perception of the brand.

Initiatives targeting social media may be managed by the marketing department, but the goals may reach as far across the organization as to include enhanced product development, better recruiting and improved external and internal communications.

What should your company be doing? Organizations are using social media in very different ways that are unique to their business operations. By successfully leveraging social media, you can place your corporate messaging in front of your target audience in a casual yet effective way.

Here are some specific steps you should follow in order to develop and implement your social media strategy:

	Identify your audience. Do the more common social media tools align with your audience? Perhaps a different channel is better suited to your business and your customers. Millions of tweets won’t help your business if your customers aren’t on Twitter.
	Set goals and objectives. Don’t expect social media to have a definitive impact on ROI or sales. Instead, set goals for your social media effort around softer indicators such as brand awareness and customer satisfaction.
	Create a long-term vision and communications plan. Social media will become an integral part of your business, not just your marketing efforts. Developing a long-term strategy for your internal and external communications will facilitate the integration of your social media efforts into new divisions and markets.
	Get tactical. Pick your platform(s) or hire an outside firm to develop a new tool specifically for your business. Remember, social media isn’t about your business – it’s about communicating with your customers.
	Evaluate and support your social media strategy. Once your social media strategy is implemented, you have to continue to support it with dedicated resources, content, promotion and enhanced features.
	Evolve your social media effort(s). Social media is not a component of a marketing initiative – it’s a part of your business. As the markets you compete in grow, as new technologies are invented and as your customers change, so too must your social media efforts.

To view BGT’s commentary on social media in The Miami Herald, please click on the below link:

BGT Partners Spotlighted in The Miami Herald as Expert on Social Media

What BGT is Reading

	A Collection of Social Networks Stats for 2009
	UberCEO Survey: CEO’s Of Fortune 100 Snub Social Media- None blog, only 2 Twitter
	Learn about Google Wave with this Highlight Reel

Challenge and Solutions

How to differentiate complex solution offerings and diverse industry messaging that target multiple audiences.

Starting with the Connextions homepage, the audience can quickly view the value proposition flash movie, download a Gartner report highlighting industry positioning, identify their clients and skim core solutions. These attributes, along with the “1-Minute Overview,” provide the foundation for rapid understanding of Connextions’ value and positioning within the industry.

The project was completed within 45 days, just in time for Connextions’ largest industry event. The site has received considerable industry acclaim, including being named the “Best Health Products or Services Site” at the 2009 American Business Awards: The Stevies.

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