This document discusses the importance and benefits of using social media for both internal and external communication purposes. It notes that while companies may be resistant to social media due to risks and lack of control, social media can be an important tool for image management, reputation building, and cementing relationships if used properly. Internally, social media can boost employee engagement, collaboration, and performance. It identifies best practices for identifying and empowering brand ambassadors on social media and addressing management concerns over its use. The key message is that social media, handled correctly, can be a powerful communication tool both inside and outside an organization.

1. Social Media: Time-Wasting Fad, or the
Holy Grail of Internal and External
Communication Tools?
[Post event slides copy]
Philip Calvert
@PhilipCalvert
@IFALife
www.philipcalvert.com
www.ifalife.com

2. About me
• 25 years in Financial Services
• Further 9 consulting and
building communities online
• Social Media
• Surrey
• Kickboxing and
Photography

3. [Source: unknown]

4. Why is Social Media important?

5. Why are firms resistant to using Social
Media – internally and externally?
• Risk
• Fear
• Reputation and Brand
• Time wasting
• Compliance
• Fear of loss of control
• Internal comms jobs
• Education gap

6. Imagine...
• If your company hadn’t adopted email
• If you didn’t have a website
• If your sales people hadn’t been given
mobile phones

7. Social Media explained
Forget “Social Media”.
Remember Image, Identity and
Reputation Management.

10. Image Management tools
• Google Places
• YouTube
• Blog
• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Google +
• Ecademy
• Pinterest
• Slideshare
• EventBrite
• Foursquare
• Phone App

12. Social Media explained
Forget “Social Media”.
Remember Image, Identity and
Reputation Management.
LinkedIn is a key component of your
Trust Development Toolkit.

13. The problem with customers
• They have too many choices
• You don’t stand out enough
• They don’t have enough time
• The Internet is seen as a shortcut
• You don’t stand out enough online

14. Tell us something we don’t already know

15. Tell us something we don’t already know

16. Tell us something we don’t already know

17. Social Media – all about Marketing?

18. Social Media – all about Marketing?
• To listen
• Improve knowledge
• Share best practice
• Thought leadership
• Networking/Relationships
• Search engines/traffic
• Collaboration
• Engage
• Comment/share expertise
• Add value/contribute to
discussions

19. Social Media – all about Marketing?
• Cement relationships
• To listen • Brand loyalty and buzz
• Improve knowledge • Customer service
• Share best practice • Identify influencers
• Thought leadership • Promotion/Sales
• Networking/Relationships • Idea feedback
• Search engines/traffic • Build Community
• Collaboration • Show a human face
• Engage • Events
• Comment/share expertise • PR
• Add value/contribute to • Recruitment
discussions
• Employee engagement

20. “Our greatest asset is our staff”

21. “Our greatest asset is our staff”
"The use of workers to humanize corporate entities has been a
time-honored marketing tradition, of course.
But in an era of Web 2.0 transparency, their visibility takes on
greater meaning, signalling the higher importance of customer
service in the marketing mix... staffers offer a kind of peer
credibility as corporate advocates.“
Noreen O'Leary in AdWeek

22. But do we trust them enough to
allow use of Social Media to
communicate with:
Customers
Stakeholders
Each other?!

24. How do staff/employees/colleagues
currently communicate?
• Email
• Face to face
• Telephone/SMS/BBM
• Skype and Video
• Coffee machine
• Hallways
• Lunchtime
• Pub
• Sports and Social
• Official meetings/briefings

25. Social Media – internal benefits
• Better engagement = better
performance • Competitions
• Engages younger staff • Increase collaboration
• Retains good performers • Creates sense of Community
• A new staff benefit/motivator • Weekend Warriors
• Evidence of open and trusting • Vacancies become more
management engaging
• Quick and easy communications • Easy to identify Brand
• Fast and honest feedback ambassadors
• Ideas hub • Easy to identify good
communicators
• Humanises management /
Reduces corporate speak

26. Social Media – internal benefits
• Don’t accept “No” for an
answer from Management • Better engagement = better
performance
• Train Management if they
• Start small
don’t understand it
• Forget the tool (Twitter etc)
– What the tools are
• Ask what employees would find
– What the tools do useful
– Why Social is important • Expect very little engagement
• “Communication is King” at the start

27. Social Media – identifying Brand
Ambassadors
• They ‘get’ and use Social Media
• Good communicators
• They are open, random and
• They ‘get’ the objective of the supportive online
Brand
• They can articulate the dangers
• Can articulate the objective
• They can tell stories
• They evangelise the brand
• They are trustworthy
• Strong sense of Mission/Vision
• At ease with all levels of
• Consistent in behaviours Management – internally and
• Factually accurate in externally
communications • They know competitors’ products
• Can handle pressure • Keen to give feedback on own
• Can handle argumentative people performance
• Relaxed and friendly – but get • Fizzing with ideas and quick
things done witted

28. Points to think about
• Social Media policy throughout
• Everyone is an ambassador
• Guidelines for stepping outside
• You won’t get it perfect
policy (and who)
• Requires leadership and the
• Leap of faith for Management
ability to trust staff
• How to reward ambassadors
• Special approach for Key
• How to measure performance Accounts
• Management are watching and • Don’t introduce it without some
listening closely sort of plan
• Does the company culture and • Don’t plan anything!
tone match the messages?
• Don’t expect results overnight
• Ambassadors can become
• This is not a replacement for
‘celebrities’
traditional staff communication
• Have a defensive strategy for channels
when someone is offended

29. Differentiate or Die

31. Your Differentiation Plan
• In the industry
• In your community
• In your niche
Your most powerful differentiator is...

33. What are you doing to get noticed?

34. Exercises / Groups

35. www.philipcalvert.com
philip@philipcalvert.com
@PhilipCalvert
Conference Speaker on Social Media and LinkedIn Strategist
Consultant on use of Social Media in Professional Services
and Regulated Industries