Building A Social Program
McIlwain recommended the following steps to get started.
· Have a strategy. Know what are you are trying to achieve. Track key performance indicators.
· Develop guidelines and trainings. It is time to expand media trainings to include social networks. Influencers might have a more strict policy due to regulations. Know what audiences to reach, as there are different reasons to use different social networks.
· Identify the best influencers. Who are the most open to it? Get some wins. They have to want to share updates. It is illegal to force them. Plus, if forced it would not be authentic.
· Assess social and technology skillset. Where are they with the technology? Do they feel comfortable using the smart phones for these purposes?
· Audit the existing presence. Do they have a LinkedIn profile? Does it look professional? Are there people out there impersonating your employees?
· Recognize participants. Retweet their tweets from corporate accounts, giving them recognition. Give them the opportunity to stand out and feel special.
· Analyze. Is the program driving more website traffic? Are you developing deeper relationships with employees? Learn from the results and make adjustments to your campaign.
Harness the power and benefit from a social company