May 2009

    
   
   

WHERE COMMUNICATIONS INFLUENCE DECISIONS
   

The Point:
 

Social Networking Isn’t Purely Social

    
 

Creating a dialogue about your brand can elevate its visibility and increase its relevance. Marketers in every industry category—including BtoB—are beginning to use social networking to reach their target audiences in new and engaging ways. Others feel less certain of its value in attracting and building client loyalty.

 

Is it right for your business?

Social networking is connecting like-minded people to communicate or collaborate online. This phenomenon is changing the way people access and interact with information on the Web, and, ultimately, changing the way they make decisions. If you’re considering how to get the most out of social networking, here are five points to guide your thinking:

1.

Consider what’s in it for you.
Think you should use Twitter because it’s the wave of the future? Well, maybe. Would it support your business to allow a defined circle of users to share information in real time without needing to enter a site or open an email? If so, go forth and tweet. If not, don’t feel pressured to jump on the technological bandwagon. You get the point: let your objectives drive your choice of social networking application.

Do you want to observe and track what customers are saying, or should you actively insert the brand as a participant? Do you need to maintain a closed network for privacy, or is there a business benefit to openness? As a first step, determine what you’ll achieve by diving into social networking and consider how it will support your broader Web strategy.

2.

Be sure there’s something in it for them.
Your goals for social networking are attainable only if the application delivers real value to the users. So you have to consider, for example, whether they’d rather see best practices that have been vetted by an impartial expert or share their own experiences. It’s the most basic rule for any communications challenge, and social networking is no exception: know your audience.

3.

Match the medium to the message.
Once you’re clear on what you want to accomplish and why users would care, the choice of technology becomes more obvious. In some cases, you want to listen and learn from your customers in true social networks. In others, your best bet is to capitalize on other Web 2.0 applications that allow you to maintain control of your brand. You do need to keep abreast of the evolving options to reach a network of people with a common thread, so it may be wise to partner with an expert before you commit.

For example,

If you want to... You might want to...
…share the opinion of a thought leader in your organization with real transparency and personality …author a blog. (And because blogs invite commentary, they’re a good window into the thoughts and reactions of constituents.)
…present information to a wide or far-flung audience, and the voiceover is as important as the copy or visual aids …broadcast via a Webcast.
…encourage portability of a presentation, video, visual asset (almost anything) …create an audio or video Podcast, which can be downloaded to a mobile device.
…shoot out relevant updates to a defined list of subscribers …establish an RSS feed.
…tap into an existing network, but connect a subset of users who have something in common …create a business group within a general social network, such as Facebook or LinkedIn.

 

4.

Don’t bite off more than you can chew.
Depending on your form of social networking, you’ll definitely have to commit to ongoing management, and you may have to commit to ongoing participation. Your action plan should include metrics for success, a realistic calendar for participation, and clear assignment of roles and responsibilities.

5.

Get really smart.
Social networking and other Web 2.0 technologies have opened up tremendous possibilities to enhance user experience, increase interactivity, and encourage connectivity. For a more in-depth analysis of what’s happening online and how businesses can benefit, check out: www.sullivannyc.com/who