DISQUS

Ignite Social Media: 5 Steps to Rolling Out a Social Media Campaign

  • Lisa McNeill · 2 years ago
    Great analysis. I've heard that for some companies it's not necessarily that they don't "get" social media as much as they don't understand exactly how to start rolling it out.

    I'd also like to suggest the following:

    #6 Consider Internal Applications
    There are a lot of companies that have achieved executive buy-in for social media because they have started first by rolling out internal social applications (such as internal wikis or blogs). By doing this, not only do employees become more familiar with the uses of social media, but executives can more clearly see the benefits and financial worth of improved communication. This understanding sometimes makes it easier to gain advocates and make the case for external social media marketing.
  • Josh Garner · 2 years ago
    Very good post, but I'm more interested in the "upcoming book on social media marketing." Please make sure to post when it is complete and available.
  • Jim Tobin · 2 years ago
    @Josh: Thanks. We've got the first draft about 80% done and moving fast! Stay tuned... ~Jim
  • TriangleBrandGuy · 2 years ago
    First off, I love this site and the service Iginite is providing to the market. When I worked inside corporations that experienced the rath of social media gone wild, there was no firm to turn to for guidance. There is so much potential to do good here. As for today's post from Jim, I'd like to add a couple thoughts. First, be sure to consider that some of your most active contributors, both positive and negative, are probably your employees. You need to be aware of this and keep this in mind as you are developing your strategy for embracing social media. Some of your worst critics are within. Insincere kudos, media manipulation, and airing dirty laundry can do great harm to a business. Second, be sure you have a cross-section of support inside your organization. It takes a lot of work to effectively employe social media. More importantly, you need people that have the guts to take it on the chin once in a while. You need experts to supply information and opinions and that all takes time and energy. Some of the feedback you get won't be stellar and you need the stamina to keep on moving with the bigger picture in mind. Be ready for the "everyone is saying" reaction. Tip: ask for specifics...you'll be pleasantly surprised. Most importantly, you need to open your mind...and your heart. But you also need to keep a little armour on too. The anonymity of social media opens the flood gates to peoples the id. The good, bad and ugly is bound to surface. A strong strategy will provide you a compass to keep your social media objectives aligned and focused. Lastly, if you're going to engage, have fun with it. It's a growth experience for you, your organization and your customers.
  • Jim Tobin · 2 years ago
    @TriangleBrandGuy: Great points. Well said. Nothing this transformational is easy, right?