Government agencies and private-sector: still not sure about social media?
This is mostly for Government agencies and contractors, because I know many of you are still unsure. There is no way I could possibly cover everything you want or need to know in this one blog post, but I want to at least graze over a couple of points and perhaps this will expand out into a series so I may go more in-depth on particular points. For now, however, I want to make just a few quick points that I think are thought-provoking enough, even in their simplicity, to get your organization serious about social media engagement:
- Government is using social media. Whether you are the Government or it is your customer, you should care that agencies aren’t just thinking about it any more, they are engaging. Many have started blogs and Facebook accounts. You can even find Government agencies on Twitter in what I consider to still be an early adoption stage. GovTwit is a great resource to see which agencies have already arrived to the party.
- If you don’t stake your claim soon, someone else will. Or perhaps they already have. At least getting your organization set up with a few basic social media accounts (with a verification seal if it is available with the service) ensures that no one else takes your name and either acts as an imposter or in the case of businesses, stakes the claim on your name or acronym that they may share with you, forcing you to go for “second best.” Staking your claim also applies to the fact that whether you are participating in social media or not, other people are and they are talking about your organization specifically for better or for worse. If they aren’t, it is only a matter of time. Better to get set up now so that you can monitor and engage. It is incredible how quickly rumors can be put to rest if you can respond yourself in real time!
- It is okay if you think it is overwhelming. I can’t even list every social media platform… and it is a part of my job. The fact is, you are doing something wrong if you are on them all. Just like any new tactic, it should be backed by strategy. Getting started with social media is less overwhelming if you take a step back and think about where your target audiences are participating and which tools help you communicate what you need to. For example, is recruitment a big goal? Then there isn’t a good reason for you not to be engaging with prospects on LinkedIn and Facebook for starters. See where it takes you from there rather then trying to take on every social media site at once.
- Everyone who is pushing you to get on social media is very aware there are security and productivity concerns. We are not blind to this fact. This is why it is important to involve your IT and security personnel every step of the way, as well as to set up a formal social media policy to be shared organization-wide. Not sure where to begin with a social media policy? Begin with my first blog post. If you do a search for social media guidelines, you’ll find many great examples. View several because some are more comprehensive than others.
- The purpose is pretty simple, use social media to reach a goal. Got goals? Sure you do! Yes, some people do use their personal social media accounts to broadcast what their cat is getting into or that they are on their way to a meeting, but those people do not represent all of social media. Also, sometimes those people talk about other things, such as their government, employers, etc. So, they could still be your audience. But I digress… my point is that when an organization sets up an account, it is successful when there is a purpose. I am not encouraging you to get online just for giggles. I want you to use it to reach a goal. Set it in the beginning, and then decided how much time you need to invest to realistically meet that goal. Finally, measure for success!
- Final words: IT IS ALL FREE TO SIGN UP!!!
Twitter Rolling Out Accounts for Businesses
Once upon a time, like in July, I wrote a post to this site called “Simple Business Rules for Twitter.” Back in those halcyon days of our blog, I was a relatively novice Twitter enthusiast, but I understood the service well enough to embrace it, and to see the benefits that it had for businesses.
Now it seems like Twitter’s founders are preparing to roll out “premium” – i.e. paid -services for businesses. In an article appearing in today’s Chicago Tribune, Biz Stone, one of Twitter’s cofounders, states that the microblogging site will offer commercial accounts for businesses by the end of the year.
I am glad that Twitter is coming to the realization that their venture capital funds – even the $100 million they recently received – will not last forever. Twitter needs to develop a business model if it wants to be more than a flash-in-the-pan internet fad like the pets.com sock puppet, or be taken over by a savvier competitor. Does anyone else remember the pre-Facebook days of Friendster?
Twitter needs to find a way to offer companies premium features while keeping its core services free for all to use, and they certainly have their work cut out for them. Cited in the Tribune article is adding data and analytics that companies would be willing to pay for. Yes, all companies want to know that their social media initiatives are working, and that embracing social media actually generates ROI. The problem is that there are already services, such as Mr. Tweet, that let people see how active they are as twitterers, the percentage of replies they receive, and the percentage of people who click on links tweeted. For example, according to Mr. Tweet, @CMcGurn is categorized as an “enthusiastic” twitterer with an “above average” reply rate of 40% and an “average” number of followers, 14%, who click on links that I send.
Yes, the metrics are fairly basic, but they give a good snapshot of how engaged a particular Twitter user is with others. I am curious to see what Twitter plans to roll out for businesses that will be worth charging for, and whether or not companies will buy into it.
A post 9-11 broadcast worth re-visiting
As a PR person, maybe I should say that my favorite outlet is The New York Times or The Washington Post, USA Today, or any of the major broadcast networks. Something more… prestigious.
But before I am a PR person, I am a part of my family; the daughter of a former Chief Fire Marshall, stepdaughter to a current fire Captain, daughter to a former shock-trauma nurse, and stepdaughter to a Deputy Sheriff. Half of the people I just listed were also first responders to the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. The tragedy of humanity and the reality of the news hits all too close to home for me on a regular basis.
This is why my favorite news shows to turn on at night are on Comedy Central. Maybe that is off-kilter given my profession and what I do here at The Borenstein Group, but it is okay. I do read, watch and listen to plenty of other resources and find them all of certain value to my clients. It all depends on specific objectives.
Today I re-tweeted (@CarlynKelley) a link to Fred Benson’s blog post that someone posted on Twitter. There he reminded readers of Jon Stewart’s powerful and honest reaction to 9-11 on his first broadcast after the tragedy. It reinforces what I’ve always said about it being okay to like getting your news from The Daily Show, Colbert Report and other “fake news” sources, which is:
Laughing or crying, blatant or subliminal, those guys have got it right because there lies a degree of honesty and they usually try to take the edge off of how crazy the world is. If nothing else, they are thought-provoking. I challenge the term “fake news” because hasn’t it always been said that the reason why comedy is funny is because we can relate and deep down… we all know it is true?
Watch the video:
John Stewart’s Reaction to 9-11
Simple Business Rules for Twitter
When I tell friends and family that not only do I have a Twitter account, @CMcGurn, but that the company that I work for, @BorensteinGroup, does as well, I usually get a response along these lines:
“Twitter is so stupid. I don’t care if you are sitting in traffic, or that you are going to Chipotle for lunch. Why do I need to know what you are doing every single minute?”
For many who have not yet adopted Twitter (either for personal or business use) this is their main complaint: that Twitter is an indulgent, self-centered waste of time. What is amusing is that most people who fall into the “Twitter is Stupid” camp have never actually Tweeted, and thus do not recognize the benefit and value that Twitter can provide to an individual or company.
Much more than simply a way to inform people about the inertia of your daily life, Twitter is an enormously useful tool for communicating, sharing information and building relationships that can further a business’ long term goals and raise a company’s awareness and profile among an engaged community. In recent weeks and months, I have learned more about the contested Iran election and the Washington, D.C. Metro crash via Twitter than I did through traditional news outlets.
As Twitter continues to become more and more popular, many of our clients are asking us for guidance and suggestions on how to properly use the social networking platform. I recommend companies adhere to the following guidelines:
- Be open and honest
- Be authentic. Avoid corporate-speak and marketing buzzwords
- Keep it PG-13 rated at the most
- Give credit where credit is due
- Stay engaged
- Participate in conversations
- Learn by doing
- Don’t spam!
It is important for any company to remember that with Twitter, the more you invest in it, the more you will get out of it. People are looking for conversations, news and information on Twitter. In order to become an influential thought leader within the community, a company needs to be fully engaged, and participate in conversations regularly, rather than just using the service to push out its latest press release.
Twitter is a platform on which individuals and other companies can further interact with a brand, preferably in real-time. Being present, providing relevant and useful information while demonstrating your corporate culture goes a long way in the Twitterverse. When done correctly, corporate Twitter accounts can inspire brand loyalty for years to come.