The document provides guidance on activating social media for a brand. It outlines that brands should (1) define objectives and measures of success, (2) listen to consumers and competitors to understand social media spaces, (3) define their role and value proposition, and (4) plan for contingencies and resource social media appropriately. Successful brands offer exclusive content and deals, engage consumers on an ongoing basis, practice good conversation techniques, and make participation fun. Brands should measure community growth, engagement, and conversions to monitor performance over time.

1. Activating social media for
your brand
March 22, 2011

2. Overview
• Define your objectives
• There are many reasons to engage in social networks, be clear on what yours are
• Know your measures of success
• Be sure that you’re using the right metrics to measure the success of your efforts
• Listen–and learn
• Find the social white space by observing your consumers and competitors
• Define your role, offering and behavior in this community
• People are looking to feel valued and find value (social currency). What do you have to offer?
• Plan for contingencies
• Things don’t always go as they should
• You’re a media brand now, resource (and budget) appropriately
• Must-have items before you start
• Be social, flexible and open to change
• Collected wisdom on best practices
• Measure, monitor and optimize
• Data will show how the story is unfolding. Here are some things to watch.

3. Define your objectives
There are many reasons to engage
in social networks,
be clear on what yours are
New consumers?
?
C ustomer service
Build relationships?
?
D iscover opportunities

4. Know your measures of success
Be
sure
that
you’re
using
the
right
metrics
to
measure
the
success
of
your
efforts
New consumers? • Likes/follows
• Brand and social metrics
• Conversions
• Reduced costs at other service
Customer service? channels, e.g., call center
• Improved sentiment in reviews
• Repeat visitation
Build relationships? • “Unlikes” (unsubscribes) v. likes
• Commenting, content
engagements and shares, etc.
Discover opportunities? • Actionable ideas to improve or
enhance products and services

5. Listen – and Learn
Find
the
social
white
space
by
observing
your
consumers
and
compe;tors
• Who are the people you wish to reach
(big picture)?
• Who are the key influencers?
• Where do your targets spend time online
(in what communities) –
• –And when are they online?
• What do they care about/talk about?
What do they do online?
• Why do they care about those things?
• What are your competitors doing?

6. Define your role, offering and behavior
People
are
looking
to
feel
valued
and
find
value
(social
currency).
What
are
you
offering?
• What value can you provide your
community? Why should they engage with
you?
• How will you engage people and key
influencers?
• What is your brand voice in this context?
• What kind of content will you offer – and
how often?
• How should your presence here integrate
with your other channels? (e.g., drive to
website, etc.)
• PS: It’s not all about you

7. Plan for contingencies
Things
don’t
always
go
as
they
should,
be
prepared
• Complainers, bashers, trolls, etc. can
disrupt when you least expect them
• Establish policies so that teams know how
to respond – and approvals can be
streamlined

8. Resource (and budget) appropriately
The
need
to
offer
consumers
fresh
and
relevant
content
and
experiences
in
social
networks
are
forcing
all
brands
to
behave
like
media
companies
Things to have:
• A content strategy outlining who you’re
engaging, how you’ll engage them and on
what schedule (among other things) (see
p. 6)
• An engagement plan for how your social
network presence will interact with your
other online channels
• A community manager who behaves like
a brand steward. He or she should be
able carry on a fluid and authentic
exchange with your audience.
• IOW: It’s probably not the intern.

9. Being social: Some best practices
Successful brands:
• Grow their Facebook fan bases (“Likes”) by offering exclusive content and deals
• Consumers can only obtain them if they “like” the brand
• Have “news” on an ongoing basis, targeting a range of interests
• They engage their target consumers on an ongoing basis by continually finding ways to be fresh and
relevant (i.e., coupon offers and product tips are good but not enough)
• Contests, events, challenges, exclusive video, etc.
• Practice good conversational techniques
• Soliciting – and engaging with - consumers’ own news, opinions, perspectives, and content
• Allow consumers to initiate their own posts on brand wall
• Help consumers look smart or “cool” and entertaining in front of their friends
• A.k.a. “social currency”
• Make general participation easy; make challenges fun
• Attract, elevate and empower hand-raisers

10. Be flexible and open to change
• As interactions progress, you may find that
your audience is bringing you topics, ideas
and opportunities that you didn’t anticipate.
• Be prepared to adjust course.

11. Measure, monitor and optimize
Data
will
show
how
the
story
is
unfolding,
here
are
some
things
to
watch
• Community growth (likes/follows)
• Activity and engagement:
• Content views and completions
• Application usage
• Commenting and content sharing (retweets
and similar)
• Repeat visitation
• Impressions and “social impressions”
• Conversions
• Brand mentions and sentiment in online
chatter

12. Questions?