In order to remain competitive, businesses in every industry require an online social presence. Beyond the use of a website, corporate social media is about building the outposts that enable participation in the conversation, interaction with your audience, the building of your brand’s reputation, and ultimately the growing of your business.
From the individual to the corporation, every business faces an increasing need for exceptional social media execution.
The creation of outposts, such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, is only the first and most fundamental part of social media marketing. As with all tools, simply having them does not create value. It is how you use them that matters. In fact, poorly executed corporate social media can damage your brand reputation and hinder future successes. Not leveraging these tools, however, carries increasing risk as our conversations, and consequently our economic activity, take place online at an accelerating rate.
The conversation online is about you, your industry, and your competition. It informs opinions, shapes perceptions, and alters the competitive landscape. Most importantly, the conversation will continue whether or not you decide to join in. The use of social media for business is about participating in this online conversation with strategy and purpose.
Social media marketing is about leveraging the online conversation into growth for your business.
Your online audience is much larger than the sum of your potential customers. Existing and lapsed customers, employees, suppliers, partners, regulators, experts, proponents, opponents, and every other stakeholder group you have is part of the online conversation. Corporate social media goes beyond communicating with target markets. It is about interacting with audiences to strengthen and leverage your relationships and build upon your brand and its reputation.
Social media is not a temporary strategy or short-term tactic. Its use is not exclusive to particular demographics, markets, or industries. It is the evolution of the internet and communication, and it will continue to grow and change. The tools that exist today will not perpetuate indefinitely. The tactics used will change over time as the conversations, platforms, and technologies change. Already, social media is a powerful communications tool. Look what the past five years have brought us; imagine what could happen in the next ten.
Corporate social media needs to become part of your core marketing strategy, and you need to start now. This is not a job for your intern. The opportunities and risks are significant already; they will only increase over time. You require expertise and resources dedicated to implementing your social media effectively. These can either be developed in-house or leveraged through an outside partner.
Social media marketing is an official and very public representation of your business. Professional execution of your social media preserves and enhances your brand – this is a vital trust and must not be given lightly. If you are going to outsource your corporate social media, you must select a partner with experience and a proven record of accomplishment.
Corporate social media also represents a significant investment of resources. One of the primary strengths of social media is the multitude of metrics available. Followers, likes, retweets, and clickthroughs are all valid metrics. However, they all speak to very different objectives. Make sure the metrics to which your outside partner is held accountable directly relate to your online objectives.
Whether you are an individual entrepreneur or a multinational corporation, if you are ready to implement corporate social media with professional execution and measurable returns, contact Albis Consulting Group to find out more.