Corporate Social Media by Burson-Marsteller

EVIDENCE-BASED COMMUNICATIONS

Burson-Marsteller

Corporate S cial Media

US Corporate Practice


In the beginning, communication meant conversations among individuals.

Everyone was in the same room. Everyone’s voice was the same volume. At some point one person shouted to the others, achieving the very first broadcast. It didn’t go far.


Technology advanced. It became possible to broadcast a message to millions of people. Since broadcasting required expensive equipment, great expertise and specific license to operate, only big companies could use it.


Things got better for individuals, too. Distance as a barrier to communication was conquered. Cheap, real-time conversation was available to all so long as it was just one person speaking with another.


Then something changed.


Social media is the first technology that allows anyone to converse with everyone.


These technologies are free, require little expertise to use and enjoy broad license to operate. Social media’s favored status in search engines – tools that are used by nearly everyone – extends its influence to every corner of the web.

The power to speak to millions, once the privilege of the powerful, is now in the hands of all.

And the communication isn’t one way – it’s a conversation.


1. Rise of the web “street” Anyone can have a big impact on your company in minutes.

2. Everyone wears multiple hats Investors are giving ideas to R&D. Customers are lobbying governments. Employees are covering the company like journalists. Executives are managing their own brands.

3. Centrality of search enginesHelping people find you is now more important than you finding them.

4. People are filtersThere may be one web, but each person filters it in their own way.

5. If you own the forum, you own the marketThe goal is no longer to send messages to audiences but to assemble a community and join them in achieving common goals.

What’s different?


What’s the same? 1. Human naturePeople want to connect with each other, discuss their interests and belong to communities.

2. Two ears, one mouthConversation requires listening with respect and speaking with humility.

3. Trust is built on promises keptProducts have to perform as well as the marketing promises it will.

4. Content rulesGood content is helpful. Great content is entertaining. The best conent sparks conversation.

5. Dale Carnegie’s still right“What’s in it for me?” is the most important question to the people you care about.


public relations – “An applied social science that influences behavior and policy, when communicated effectively, motivates an individual or group to a specific course of action by creating, changing or reinforcing opinions and attitudes.”

-Harold Burson’s definition of public relations. Published on his blog, 4/20/11.

What else is the same?


1. Measure the changed landscape

2. Steer management through changes

3. Upgrade the public relations function

4. Shield company from new threats

5. Equip non-PR pros with needed tools

6. Train company in best practices

7. Help other functions evolve

8. Tie metrics to bottom line

The rise of social media creates eight new challenges for corporate communications


Our charge is to help you meet these challenges with measurable success.


1. Measure thechanged landscape


Social Media Audits Quantify how much stakeholders are discussing a company, its products, stock, executives and other topics. Coupled with qualitative analysis, the audit informs the strategy.

Online Influencer DatabasesWith 156 million blogs worldwide – not including those on LinkedIn, Facebook and Google+ – finding who matters requires proven methodologies and deep domain experience. B-M applies both to build influencer databases rich with metrics that turn strategy into action.

Community MapsReveal the most influential people in a conversation about a company, industry or other topic, as well as how information flows between social networks on- and off-line.

Competitive Analysis Conducted to assess the degree to which other companies are succeeding in their own social media efforts and identify opportunities to secure the digital high ground.


2. Steer management through changes


Steer management through changes

Corporate Social Media StrategySocial media has advanced from a communications phenomenon to a business platform. From changing the way companies invent products, find talent and collaborate internally, to allowing direct engagement with industry, government and interest groups, few business objectives have been left untouched. To manage this change, B-M helps clients establish a governing strategy and operating infrastructure that reduce risks and seize new opportunities.

Policy Creation & UpgradesFollowing the identification of business goals, B-M works to craft or upgrade the social media policy needed to see them through.

Regulatory CounselB-M’s social media specialists have deep expertise in all applicable FTC, SEC, FINRA, CFTC/NFA and other regulatory regimes, as well as extensive experience in applying them to unique corporate and marketing structures.


3. Upgrade the public relations function


Upgrade the public relations function

Social Media Engagement B-M applies social media’s unique strengths to bring bottom-line benefits to businesses. The technology’s ability to bypass traditional media filters, converse directly with stakeholders and precision-target online elites is remaking the corporate communications function.

Real-Time Monitoring• All social media channels• Expert Boolean construction• 24/7 availability• Global coverage• Every major language

Channel Building & Management

• Blogs, Twitter, Wikis, Forums, Q&As• Back-end analytics• Integration into marketing funnel• Content & conversation strategy • Multimedia: video, audio, widgets, apps

Conversation• Blogger releases• Blogger relations• Conversation curation


Traditional Media is Now Social MediaEvery article on every online publication now features conversation forums below them, social media “share” buttons beside them, and search engines staring deep into them. Traditional media coverage has gone “social,” providing opportunities for companies to engage stakeholders, correct wrong information and offer new perspectives.

B-M’s media relations professionals have embraced the social nature of the media formerly known as “traditional” and helps clients extract full value from it.

For the Record

Micro-Community Engagement

Definitive Measurement

• B-M makes active use of comments sections to correct mistakes, expand on quotes and break through in crises.

• With each article now its own mini-community, B-M engages in real-time to steer stakeholders toward business objectives.

• By monitoring the entire media ecosystem – traditional, social, search and company-owned properties, B-M tracks marketing metrics to their business outcome.

Upgrade the public relations function


Integrated Search Engine Optimization B-M applies SEO principles to every communications function, activity and output to ensure the highest and most strategic visibility among search engines.

Media relations• Press releases• Bylined articles• Target prioritization

Thought leadership• Message bibles• White papers• Presentations

Online Executive Positioning• Audits• Crisis mitigation • Proactive positioning

Upgrade public relations function


4. Shield company from new threats


Shield company from new threats

Digital Crisis PlansWhile all crises now contain a digital component, some crises have unique roots in the digital realm and so require different responses. To that end, B-M helps clients create crisis plans that work at internet-speed.

Long Tail Crisis Mgmt.Old reputational threats can become new again givens the web’s ability to archive every complaint, lawsuit and rumor forever. B-M has developed unique approaches to reduce and resolve these reputational threats.

Multimedia Response When press releases and statements can’t adequately express a company’s response to a crisis, B-M’s multimedia team steps in to deliver communiqués via video, audio and images.

Stress TestingWith new types of threats emerging by the week, it’s important to stress test digital plans to find and fix vulnerabilities. B-M’s teams have decades of experience in designing and operating war games.


5. Equip non-PR pros with social media tools


Equip non-PR pros with social media tools

Oversight capabilities• Customized policies• Monitoring

Channel creation tools• Templates• Multimedia

Training• Cultural best practices• Technical

Measurement• Standardized metrics• Centralized resource

Coordination• Resource for Q&A• Knowledge warehouse

Content • Style guides• Storehouse of fodder

CRM• Strategic planning• Technical standardization

Legal support• International & Industry• Creative Commons

Crisis management• Planning • Stress testing


6. Train company in best practices


BeginnerBlogs

FacebookFlickr

Google+LinkedIn

MonitoringQuoraTwitter

WikipediaWordpress.org

YouTube

Methodology & TechnologyHow to Build Online Influencer Databases

How to Conduct a Social Media AuditOnline Executive Positioning

SEO for Media Relations

Online RelationsCommunity management

Blogger Releases & RelationsOnline Ambassadorship

Tweetups

AdvancedAnalytics

PodcastingEvents

Crowdsourcing

Train company in best practices

Global, multimedia, multi-language social media policy training

BespokeExecutive training

1-1 trainingSpeeches


7. Help other functions evolve


Internal Communications

Inter-Department Social Media Workflow

Help other functions evolve

HRExecutive training


SalesExecutive training


Customer

Executive training1-1 trainingSpeeches

Service R&DExecutive training



8. Tie metrics to bottom line


Tie metrics to bottom line

Change PR Metrics to Business Value Metrics

Connect Social Media to CRM

Application of Scientific Method

• Increase qualified leads• Increase margins

• Lower cost of talent acquisition• Decrease R&D costs

• Strategic planning• Technical upgrades

• Standardization of metrics• Cross-function integration

• Continuous testing of new ideas• A/B testing structure

• Centralized research hub• Implementation of new practices


Burson-Marsteller

Corporate S cial Media

US Corporate Practice

Corporate Social Media by Burson-Marsteller

Business

Transcript of Corporate Social Media by Burson-Marsteller