Being a Geek, I’m so into social media. I will join a new network if it’s interesting and if I’m invited. But like most, I’m still trying to figure out what makes good social media strategy. There are many answers to that question. One of them, though a bit cliché, is to just listen.
That’s what I did at the Atlanta Interactive Marketing Association’s monthly meeting of the minds. To an overflowing audience, some of whom were very appropriately live blogging and tweeting the event, the social media masterminds from the Red Cross, Comcast and AT&T Mobility shared their answers to that million dollar question of what makes good social media strategy.
Here are some takeaways and rules they live by:
Wendy Harman, Social Media Manager, Red Cross
Key Takeaway: “Just Listen”
Wendy Harman, Social Media Manager, Red Cross
Harman was hired by the Red Cross to make the bad bloggers be quiet and stomp out bad rumors. But once she started “listening” to those bloggers, she discovered the blogerati had a lot of good things to say about the Red Cross. So she joined their conversations by posting comments to blogs.
When she wanted to take things a step further and open a Flickr account, the Red Cross didn’t get it. She had to open an account on the sly. On the “down low” so to speak, she kept up her efforts, listening, commenting, and pushing out information on networks she set up. It eventually paid off.
The Red Cross now incorporates social media into their communication toolbox. (Read the Red Cross blog.) The organization is so enthusiastic about it that Wendy had to reign them in with an online communications guidebook.
Social Media Rules She Lives by: “Make sure social media supports the company vision and use social media to execute it.”
Mimi Chan, Director of National Segment Marketing, AT&T Mobility
Key Takeaway : “Go where your customers are and give them something they can’t get anywhere else.”
Mimi Chan, Director of National Segment Marketing, AT&T Mobility
Mimi Chan’s target audience is the under 25-year-old crowd. When they congregated on MySpace, that’s where Chan went. When many of them migrated to Facebook, she followed.
Now AT&T has a Facebook hub site for that market that acts as a platform for activation, engagement, promotion and collection of customer feedback. Through it, Chan dangles things her group can’t get anywhere else like Disney “it” girl Demi Levato video chatting on location from her concert tour . Her audience snaps it up and spits back opinions, comments and share things with their friends.
The Facebook hub has a Brand Ambassador program that rewards kids for chatting. One Lucky Ambassador will be sent to the red carpet premiere of “New Moon”, the highly anticipated sequel to the “Twilight” movie, to blog and interview the stars.
Chan is responsible for AT&T’s sponsorship with “American Idol” that led to millions of people text messaging votes. A sponsorship with “Dancing with the Stars” does the same.
Social Media Rules She Lives by: “Know audience interests and affinities, monitor their reactions and refine message accordingly.”
Frank Eliason, Director of Digital Care, Comcast
Key Takeaway: “Empower passionate employees to do the social media work and build relationships through social media.”
Frank Eliason, Director of Digital Care, Comcast
Frank Eliason doesn’t come from a marketing and public relations background and is not afraid to declare it. He comes from the world of customer service and care. The reason he has 27,000 Twitter followers is because he’s passionate about the customer and understands the power of the personal touch.
Comcast’s Twitter feed – Comcastcares which is his brainchild features his personal photo and he answers messages personally. He also seeks out information about the company to respond to.
Social Media Rules He Lives by: “It’s not about the brand message, it’s about the interaction.”
So what do you think? Are these good takeaways and rules to live by? Got any suggestions yourself? Tell me about it.
