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The term "authenticity" is a social media shibboleth.
After all, consistent promise-keeping is the real rule of the authentic organization (think Amazon).
But we can at least be approachable in our social media exchanges, according to online community consultant Richard Millington.
In his recent blog post "Interact With Your Community Like a Human Being," Millington sets out his codes of conduct:
- Write in the first person. Phrase questions as personal ones. "Has anyone had experience with ....?"
- Engage first, tell second. Lead with a question, not content. Only if others reply should you respond with information.
- Begin with a story. Why are you asking for others' opinions? What's your opinion?
- Speak with emotion. "Don't default to a customer-service tone for engaging members of your community," Millington advices.
Social Media Examiner has released its annual report on marketers' use of social media.
The key findings:
- 90 percent of marketers say social media is important for business.
- 88 percent say it drives brand awareness.
- 72 percent say it drives Website traffic.
- 62 percent say it drives search engine rankings.
- 58 percent spend 6+ hours a week on it.
- 34 percent spend 11+ hours a week.
- 77 percent plan to increase the use of video.
- 28 percent outsource at least part of their program.
According to the report, 2011's top four social media marketing tools are Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and blogs.
Ad Age reports that big brands are spending countless hours every day scrubbing spam from their Facebook pages.
According to Facebook management software vendor Vitrue, 15 percent of posts should be deleted, because they're offensive or represent promotions unrelated to the brand.
Spammers target big brands' Facebook pages because the exposure is vast, even if the messages remain visible for only a few hours.
This so-called "page spam" can tarnish a brand's image and drive away fans.
Page-spam cleanup is costly because it has to be performed by humans. Some brands are hiring outside firms to do the work, spending as much as $20,000 a month.
Mark Twain once quipped, "Let us make a special effort to stop communicating with each other, so we can have some conversation."
USA Today recently reported that business professionals receive 110 messages a day through such channels as email, SMS, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.
"People are drowning in a deluge of data," the paper concludes.
As a result, executives are witnessing a rise in employee burnout, errors and miscommunication.
TMI. Too much information.
As a marketer, your path forward is clear:
Less is always more. Most readers will only browse the first few lines of any message. Break up large ideas into small, digestible chunks.
Give readers signposts. Use headlines, subheadlines, photos and captions to guide them.
Start with the desired action. Satisfy overtaxed readers by beginning with your "call to action."
On Social Media Today, blogger Sherryl Perry describes her exchange with one company's social media manager.
It's a prime example of using social media marketing the right way.
After linking in her blog to Grasshopper (a B2B provider of phone service), Perry received a hand-written thank-you note from the company's "ambassador of buzz."
Included were the ambassador's business card and a Starbucks gift card.
Grasshopper reps also commented on Perry's blog and Tweeted about it.
The upshot? Perry now has "a new Twitter friend and an even warmer and fuzzier feeling about Grasshopper."
Was the company merely soliciting Perry's business? Not really. In fact, Perry had recently cancelled her contract with Grasshopper, because she no longer needed its service.
Grasshopper was simply using social media marketing the right way.
"Obviously, this is a company that has a process in place," Perry writes. "When I left them as a customer, they sent an automated email. When I blogged about them, someone Tweeted my post (good move on their part because of the backlink to them) and left a comment for me. It could have stopped there but it didn’t."
Does your organization have a social media process in place?
- Do you habitually thank readers who comment about your blog posts?
- Do you follow links left in comments and leave comments for readers?
- Do you thank readers who Tweet about your blog?
- Do you go the extra mile and reach out to readers off line?
