Among the current hot topics in the world of social media are the recent changes made to Facebook’s privacy policies. Many, myself included, are not too comfortable with the way Facebook has shared user information. They call it “instant personalization”. I call it extremely sneaky…I had to find a tutorial on how to opt out of everything! (You can find it here if you’re interested: http://tiny.cc/bwrsc). The policy overhaul could blindside Facebook’s more casual users, which is why staying current on social media is so important. Keeping up with the ever changing world of social media can help you to successfully engage your customers and create an open dialogue. Here are some “best practices” for successfully running a social media campaign.
Consistency is important. Even though your message may be different across platforms, you still want your customer to be familiar with your brand and voice behind it. Whether it’s directing users to your Twitter page from your blog or your Facebook page from your website, make sure your channels are linked effectively to engage your audience from any entry point.
Encourage participation and feedback. Sharing content from other sources will help to create a community with valuable ideas and insight into your company. As a social marketer, you are beginning the conversation…your users, followers and contributors will expand upon the conversation.
Perhaps most importantly, the goal of a successful social media campaign is making your company accessible to customers. Your online content should strive to connect with your audience and nothing turns off a consumer audience more than being talked at by a corporation. Inject a little personality into your content and suddenly you become more credible as a resource.
The point of all of this is to stay ahead of the curve with the changes we see so rapidly in digital marketing. To circle back to Facebook, another recent change was made by changing the “Become A Fan” feature to “Like”. On some forums, retailers expressed concern because “fan” seems more powerful than “like”. This is precisely the kind of dialogue that can and should inspire change.
– Jordyn Haas
