A framework for resourcing social media

A framework for resourcing social media February 2011

Resourcing social media
One of the most common questions we’re asked is:
“ What is the best way to resource social media how does that fit within our oganisation’s broader communications structure.”
While we’d love to say, we can do it all for you, we know that isn’t the right approach.
The optimal structure involves a mix of PR, marketing, digital, customer services, senior management and agency support.
The following presentation captures our thoughts on how to develop a framework for this process, no matter your position within the social media lifecycle.
Paratus Communications
i INTRODUCTION

Identifying your situation Step one (of four)

Whether you’re actively participating in social media or your customers are participating on your behalf, there are some important questions you need to ask yourself. The most important one being: The following slide features some examples of where some brands are situated within the lifecycle. The social media lifecycle Where is your brand situated within the social media lifecycle?

The social media lifecycle Inactive Reinforce and maintain Active and growing Semi-active *Exit Strategy ?

Active brands
Some advantages
Earlier internal buy-in
Loyal communities have begun to be established
Feedback has significantly shaped future direction
Some disadvantages
Challenges in aligning global and domestic strategies
Inconsistent channel use from too much trial and error
Inactive brands
Some advantages
You’ve had longer to listen and plan accordingly
Aligning global and domestic strategies should be easier (in theory)
Some disadvantages
Competitors may have established key stakeholder relationships
Nervousness about engaging grows by the day, making eventual activation an increasingly scary prospect for the entire organisation

Identifying your options Step two (of four)

After you’ve identified where you are in the lifecycle, you can start to think about where social media fits within your organisation (if at all).
However, before you can do that, you need to consider the options at your disposal.
This is dictated by:
Your organisational structure
Your audiences / stakeholders
Let’s take a look at both.
Shaping your strategy

Who runs the show? The hardest thing for most organisations is identifying who will be responsible for managing social media internally. This person is not always easy to find, because this skills required are so varied and interconnected. SM Communications / PR Web / Digital Marketing / Brand Customer Service Structure

Optimal DNA This person ideally needs to: a) Have experience in all the four relevant disciplines i.e. PR, digital etc b) Have managed a number of agencies simultaneously c) Can galvanize people internally d) Have the technical appreciation for what is involved e) Can handle a crisis competently e) Have the time to pull all this (and more) together f) Have a passion for social media channels As mentioned, this person is hard to find, but with the right support can grow into this role. Structure

The hybrid solution Communications / PR Web / Digital Marketing / Brand Customer Service Agency Agency Agency Agency Internal lead Lead agency shadow Empower the best possible internal person (or hire someone) to coordinate each of the disciplines, supported by an external “shadow” to provide mentoring / strategic counsel. Structure

Who does what then? This entirely down to the size of your organisation and the resource at your disposal. But, each discipline has a role to play, whether that is made up of internal talent or external agencies. The “shadow” role (if required) is best played the agency you think can help provide general counsel. The following pages outline roles and responsibilities in more detail. Structure

Who will be impacted?
Social media impacts on several audiences / stakeholders, including:
Customers
Media (social and traditional)
Staff
Partners / suppliers
Auditing your audiences is an on-going process, and is vital in developing and refining your strategy.
Audiences

Assigning roles and responsibilities Step three (of four)

Internal / external /shared There are differing opinions as how to best structure the roles and responsibilities associated with delivering social media marketing. Our view on this is: “ Owned” media These are the channels you manage i.e. your blog, Facebook page, Twitter profile, YouTube channels etc “ Earned” media These are the channels published by other people that you may want to be involved with i.e. their blogs, Facebook pages, Twitter feeds, forums etc Internal responsibility External responsibility

Who does what? Communications / PR Web / Digital Marketing / Brand Customer Service “ Editorial content” – structure, search, production, relationships / reputation ‘ Paid for’ content i.e. promotions – production, placement Technical delivery / support Customer relationships (escalating upwards when appropriate) These examples have predominantly been used to bring this structure to life – these aren’t the only roles and responsibilities associated with social media, but they do give you a flavour of what is required from each discipline

Next steps Step four (of four)

This presentation alone won’t create your roadmap to successful social media structure and delivery. But, it should trigger some questions about how your organisation is placed depending on where you are positioned in the social media lifecycle. These questions should mainly be in relation to: Please feel free to get in touch if you think we can add value to this process. What now?
Your organisational structure
Your audiences / stakeholders

For more information: Adam Vincenzini M: +44 7932 082 124 E: [email_address] W: www.paratuscommunications.com F: www.facebook.com/paratuscomms T: http://twitter.com/paratuscomms

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A framework for resourcing social media

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