Over the years I’ve consulted with a number of businesses and organizations on the topic of social media. Despite social media’s large presence, many businesses and nonprofits continue to put it off to the side – an afterthought to their marketing efforts.
As you head into a new year, you may be thinking about how you can better your social media presence – whether that’s improved content or a more consistent posting schedule. Let me share two key considerations as you ramp up (or start!) your business or nonprofit’s social media marketing.
Just this week in Charleston, a downtown hotel came under fire when its manager asked independent journalist Quintin Washington to remove a photo he posted on Twitter commenting about the weather along with a photo of Mother Emanuel Way Memorial District. The Courtyard Charleston Historic District – Marriot was visible in the photo as was the Emanuel AME Church where nine people were murdered over the summer.
The hotel manager tweeted to Washington, “We respectfully ask you not to include the hotel in mother AME photos. TY”
Odd. There was no explanation as to why the hotel didn’t want to be in the photos and the tweet was later deleted – although not before plenty of people had captured it in a screenshot and began blasting the hotel on social media. An article in the next day’s Post and Courier simply said the manager apologized and a statement from the hotel’s parent company said it was taking steps to prevent a mistake like that from happening again.
Sorry, too late.
It literally takes seconds for social media blunders like this to spin out of control and a company’s reputation is damaged in mere minutes. Let’s face it, we don’t live in a very forgiving world and even if the hotel manager meant no ill will, the damage was done. The hotel – a spot were many families awaited news of their loved ones at the church – was seen as insensitive and callous.
So what does this have to do with your business? You need to be careful about who you place in charge of your social media accounts. Those people need to be properly trained in how to handle delicate situations.
Too often, I encounter businesses and nonprofits that want to put interns and volunteers in charge of their social media. That’s because, for them, social media is an afterthought and most managers believe “anyone can do it” and social media is for “young people.” Nothing against college students – many of them can be excellent assets to your marketing team – but they need oversight and training if you they are going to be the public voice of your brand.
Invest in some professional training or hire a consultant to help you get your social media house in order. And if you’ve hired an outside firm to manage your social accounts, make sure you’ve worked with the company on policies and how to respond to potentially negative situations.
Have some checks and balances in place. Considering deleting a negative Facebook post? Responding to an irate customer on Twitter? Consult with another team member and your social media policy on how best to handle such situations. Taking an extra 5 minutes to talk through the consequences could save you a lot of trouble.
Can mistakes still happen? Of course. Even a seemingly innocent remark can be misinterpreted on social media and go viral – and not in a good way. But you should take all the necessary steps to ensure the likelihood of that happening is slim.
Take social seriously
Now, my second point of consideration: integrate social media into your full marketing plan. This may seem like a no-brainer to any marketer, but plenty of businesses and a lot of nonprofits still see social media as something nice to add when they have time rather than a critical piece of the marketing plan.
Case in point … one of my nonprofit clients was fortunate enough to receive free Facebook ad credits from social media company ActionSprout. Beginning in December, we were able to claim our free credits and start advertising on social media. It’s an excellent opportunity to experiment with Facebook ads on someone else’s dime. Facebook ads are incredible because you can narrowly target your audience, but there’s a learning curve as you figure out what works and what doesn’t. So, this was a great chance for nonprofits to figure out best practices.
About three weeks in to the three-month program, I received an email from ActionSprout: “As of today, only 871 of the 2,000 nonprofits that were awarded credits have deposited and started using their December ad coupon.”
What?!
More than 1,000 nonprofits were leaving free money on the table (the credits are only good for 45 days). In a private Facebook group for nonprofits using these credits, some people commented that the time of year was tough for them as they were busy thanking donors and mailing year-end solicitations. Others brought up the fact that their organization was small and it was hard to get to everything. Completely valid and understandable arguments for nonprofit organizations.
But, an opportunity like this needs to move to the top of your priority list. In truth, social media should always be a priority. No marketing plan is complete without it.
Three tips for nonprofits (and businesses) who feel stressed by social media:
- Start small. Pick one or two social networks that work best for your organization. If Facebook is all you can handle, focus on doing a great job on Facebook. You can always add other social networks later.
- Use scheduling tools. Facebook has a built-in way to schedule posts or you can use tools like Hootsuite to monitor and schedule posts on other networks. This keeps you from feeling like you have to be on social media 24/7.
- Plan ahead. Take 1 hour each week to plan out content. Keep a running file of post ideas. Dedicating some chunks of time will keep you organized and posting regularly without feeling overwhelmed
