Social Media The Great Equalizer The Great Disrupter V1.2
-
Upload
apogee-social-media-group -
Category
Documents
-
view
99 -
download
1
Transcript of Social Media The Great Equalizer The Great Disrupter V1.2
An overview provided by Apogee Social Media Group
Social Media:
The Great Equalizer –
The Great Disrupter
Apogee Social Media Group ~ 2
Social media provides many windows into your company—
through employees, groups, & conversations.
At Apogee, we believe that social media is the
single most impactful development of this era. It is
the great equalizer and the great disrupter.
Companies that embrace social media and teach
their people to operate effectively in social media
will have unlimited access to opportunities,
customers and talent.
The term social media refers to the use of web-
based and mobile technologies to turn
communication into an interactive dialogue.
Andreas Kaplan and Michael Haenlein define social
media as “a group of Internet-based applications
that build on the ideological and technological
foundations of Web 2.0, and that allows the
creation and exchange of user-generated
content.”
Social media is the largest and fastest evolution of
the internet we have seen so far.
Social media goes far beyond the technological
platforms of Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. It’s
about the ability for users to create, use and filter
content that aligns to their interests. To
understand this new dynamic, consider the DVR.
A DVR allows you to record your favorite TV show,
then watch it when, where and how you want. You
have the power to watch your show at your own
convenience, not only at 8pm on Thursday nights.
You have the power to watch your show on your
laptop as well as your TV. You have the power to filter
unwanted messages (i.e., commercials).
You control how you want to be engaged.
Now consider the companies that advertise during
your 8pm-Thursday-night show. They may show three
commercials in a span of 60 minutes. In the past, if
they wanted greater exposure, they might show six
commercials in that same 60 minutes. But with a
DVR, it doesn’t matter how many many commercial
spots they buy—you aren’t watching any of them!
Since you have control over what you tune in to,
companies must change their approach so that you
want to tune in.
Businesses have to find another way for their
messages to reach their customers.
Apogee Social Media Group ~ 3
Your customers and employees are talking about your
company and products right now—join the conversation!
Social media is complex. It isn’t particularly complex from a technical perspective;
it’s complex from a human perspective. People inherently need to identify or
connect—with other people, with companies, and even with products—but the old
world “push” methods of connecting (e.g., TV ads) are getting filtered out.
As we explore this human need to connect, we realize that for the first time in the
modern era we have a reliable platform to facilitate the connection—the
conversation—worldwide and at lightning speed over the internet: social media.
Two major factors influence the decision to buy:
1. A company’s ability to create a meaningful connection with the buyer, and
2. What the buyer’s peers are saying.
Conversations are powerful influencers. If your company is not actively and
authentically becoming part of these conversations, you are at a great
disadvantage against your competition.
Joining the conversation is not about plugging in and using social media as a
conduit for the same old message and tactics. That will fail.
It’s about creating content that inspires conversation. It’s about contributing to the
collective knowledge of the group for the benefit of the group. If the conversation
is dull, insufficient or self-serving, people will leave the conversation.
Getting involved in the conversation is the way to make the connection to your
customers and their peers. If successfully connected, your message and brand will
flourish!
Apogee Social Media Group ~ 4
Social media is a journey and, like all journeys, it
helps to know your starting point, your desired
destination, and your plan to get there.
Five steps to get you on your way:
1. Start where you are. Understand that social
media has already provided many windows into
your company by virtue of the fact that your
employees already participate. Embrace this
phenomenon and invest in your people. Make
an honest assessment of your company’s
current image on social media, then educate
your employees about the correct way to
represent themselves and the company. It will
pay dividends. Plus, your employees are hungry
for it.
2. Choose a destination. Find out where your
customers are, and meet them there. If your
business is Business-to-Consumer (B2C),
Facebook may be the best platform. If you are
Business-to-Business (B2B), LinkedIn may be the
best place to engage. But be sure you know
what you are trying to achieve and which
platforms offer you the greatest opportunity to
achieve it—and which platforms you can and
are willing to support. Platforms that have short
message lifecycles, like Twitter, require daily
monitoring and frequent, prompt
communication to keep the audience engaged.
Even if your customers are there, if you don’t
have the resources to participate fully, it may be
a poor choice for you.
3. Build a roadmap. Start with reasonable
expectations. Prioritize what you can actually
get done, and honestly assess your available
resources and constraints. Be realistic about
what you can do yourself and what items are
better handled by the pros. Achieving fewer,
higher-impact successes is better than doing
more things poorly. Set reasonable milestones;
make sure you are successful before increasing
the scope or number of social platforms.
4. Choose a navigator. Each employee can be a
powerful social media advocate for your
company, but creating a strong social media
presence and brand is not a part-time job.
Assigning a focused resource to manage this
channel will create a consistent “face” and voice
to your company and will allow you to quickly
build your brand.
5. Adjust to the environment. Social media is not a
static environment. Savvy companies critically
assess the impact of their efforts, look for the
best ideas, evaluate changes in the marketplace,
and make crucial adjustments to their strategy.
Understand that new tools and platforms are
emerging every day and will continue to evolve.
Listen carefully to your customers to understand
where they’re headed and what platforms they
will use for their conversations. Sometimes a
road is closed and you have to take a detour—
but that’s all part of the adventure!
Embarking on your social media journey can feel
daunting. By following the steps outlined above,
you can be confident that your efforts will position
your company to engage with new customers, new
opportunities, and new talent.
Social Media is more than just
a few folks at headquarters
Tweeting and responding to
Facebook posts.
In order to realize the full
benefit of this opportunity,
teach and empower the
entire organization to operate
with skill and confidence over
social media.
How do I get started?
Apogee Social Media Group ~ 5
Social Media for the Sales Professional Do you use “social listening” to find out where the sales opportunities
are? Do you know which competitors are talking to your clients? This
dynamic instructor-led, one-day course is designed to address the
unique requirements of the professional sales organization. Learn to
use the power of LinkedIn to grow your sales.
Social Media for the HR Professional Companies compete for talent. Is your company finding and attracting
the right candidates? This interactive instructor-led, one-day course is
designed to address the unique requirements of the professional HR
organization. Learn to use LinkedIn to tap into an almost unlimited
talent pool—efficiently and effectively.
Social Media for the Business Professional Every one of your staff offers a window into your business. Are you
offering the right view? This interactive instructor-led, one-day course
is designed for all employees. It has been carefully constructed to give
users the knowledge and confidence to skillfully operate in the world
of social media (LinkedIn)—and present the company image you want.
LinkMeIn for Executives Executives have a choice of one-on-one LinkedIn coaching or turnkey
profile development services. Learn how to enhance your personal
brand, position yourself as an expert in your industry, or promote
personal causes or charities. We’ll help you get up and running and
develop a full personal social media strategy.
LinkMeIn for Jobseekers In this 2-part video learning series, individuals seeking new career
opportunities learn to use LinkedIn to develop their unique online
brand, attract recruiters and hiring managers, and find the right
connections in target industries. Having strong relationships online is
critical to getting ahead in this job market—we’ll show you how.
About Apogee Social Media Group We help companies accomplish their goals by prioritizing and simplifying the use of social
media to build and strengthen their brand, find new opportunities, and connect to customers
and talent. After a comprehensive assessment, we work with you to develop a social media
strategy, in which we may recommend some of the coaching and training options listed below.
Whether you’re a sales professional, human resource manager, recruiter, executive leader, or
jobseeker, you’ll be able to apply what you learn immediately.
Apogee Social Media Group http://www.apogeesocialmediagroup.com
8105 Fayetteville Rd, Suite 121–143
Raleigh, NC 27603