Independence for Social Media

I was fortunate enough to leave a very toxic situation in December. Forever now, Independence Day for me will be December 17th --> the day I walked away from an abusive marriage. It's safe to say that July 4th will also have it's own significant meaning to me this year. Independence is such a beautiful, lovely thing, isn't it? It's amazing to wake up everyday and know that you own your life, your decisions and your career. It's also quite likely that most of us wake up everyday not necessarily feeling that we do own those things, and it becomes an inward fight to claim independence of our own lives. While I am confident in owning my life and decisions, I sometimes question where the ownership of social media stands within my career.

So, let me ask the question that many brands are asking themselves right now --> WHO OWNS SOCIAL?
I've recently found myself in a common situation, where everyone feels like they have a hand in the bucket of social media. EVERY person feels that they own what message is being sent out, and even, to a degree, every message that comes in. While I might not have a definitive answer on who owns it, I can confidently say EVERYONE does NOT own it for a brand. If you run your brand by letting everyone have their hand in the social media cookie jar, then you are risking having a bipolar social media strategy that not only lacks cohesiveness, but also lacks expertise.

It is critical that a brand has at least one social media expert that it TRUSTS to run the show. While obviously marketing and ecommerce and any other critical department within your brand needs to have stake in social, there ultimately needs to be a social media expert making the end-all calls on what works on social and what doesn't. If you cannot let your social media expert make decisions as to what content works well on which network, then it's either time for you to find a new expert that you do trust, or stop doing social altogether.

The social media expertise within in a company needs to be INDEPENDENT of all of the other departments involved in social messaging. Why? Because there are a thousand things a social media expert sees day in and day out on social media that other associates might not understand. While it's important to have social involved in all departments within a business, it's also important to give your social media expert the independence to make the social media decisions you hired them to make. Other teams can decide the content, but social media experts should be deciding how and which networks it is being fed through. On top of that, micromanaging inhibits creativity and original content, which is vital for an effective social media campaign. 

So, while I've made a clear opinionated case for the independence of social media, I still haven't answered who owns it. I passionately believe that social media ultimately belongs to the fans. It belongs to the consumers that are making the effort to interact with your brand, and are willing to create solid relationships within your social community.

What does July 4th look like for social media? It means giving trust and independence to your social team to make the right decisions for social media for your brand. After all, you hired them for a reason, didn't you?

- Marji J. Sherman

Keep Holidays Real in Social Media

So, Father's Day was last weekend. If you didn't naturally know, then you absolutely found out from ALL the social media posts around it. I think pretty much every one of my friends changed their profile pictures to sappy photos of them and their number one man. I'm not judging them-- Father's Day means the world to me, as well, since I have one kick ass dad myself.

However, sitting in church with someone who recently lost their father, made me realize that maybe not everyone feels the same way I do about Father's Day. As it became apparent that sermon was going to revolve around a present father's love, and the lessons you learn from your dad, he had to step out, nearly in tears.

Father's Day did not mean to him what it means to me. I couldn't help but think about how many holidays do not have the sappy, Hallmark relevance to everyone as brands tend to assume they do. While it's easier to sit back as a content strategist and create material that emanates the fuzzy, traditional feeling of every holiday, I think there's room for brands to start creating more realistic depictions of the holidays, and, ultimately, deciding if holidays are even relevant for their brand.

I'm not saying you can't share the warm photo of Dad grilling out with some text above it, but I am saying that I think holidays go deeper than that, and if that holiday is relevant to your brand, it's important to find that deeper meaning if you want to join the conversation. Find out how/if your consumers celebrate that holiday, and then create content that is relevant to their experiences. Don't just assume they spend the holiday the same way you do. Social media pros have to create content based on their fans' experiences, not just their own.

While a Father's Day post of any kind probably would not have resonated with someone that recently lost their father, it does bring to light that holidays hold significant meaning, and it's important that brands honor that significance and use it to create authentic, real content. Otherwise, they risk coming across as cheesy or unnaturally joining conversations that are important to fans --> and this WILL backfire.

It's also important for you to decide if a holiday fits in with your brand identity, or not. Not every holiday is going to be significant to every brand. Don't try to squish your brand into a holiday it's not meant to be a part of. Kindly let others join the conversation on those holidays, and use your resources to create even more valuable content for the holidays you do have a place in.

Holidays are a way for you to relate to your fans, but you first have to make sure you relate to that holiday.

- Marji J. Sherman

I'm Calling Bullshit --> Social Media ≠ Magic Bullet

Whoever decided to fill the world's head with the idea that social media is the magic bullet has A LOT of social media pros waiting to tear them apart right now. Social media is great, it's awesome, if it wasn't I wouldn't have it has my number one career choice. However, it is FAR from magic. As any #SoMe pro knows, the magic that comes from a post that goes viral, or an engaging conversation on any network, is the result of tedious day-to-day work that involves targeting
the right audience, creating meaningful dialogue and finding out what consumers want. While the rest of the world sees a magical conversation between a brand and consumer, the people behind the scenes workers know that a lot more than a wand is needed to pull that rabbit out of the hat.

On top of that, there is a misconception that social media is this magic bullet that masks a bad product, or is the only thing needed to get a product off the shelves. I'm calling bullshit. Social media is a TOOL. It is a way of getting a message to tons of people in a conversational way. If there is a not a strong, solid message in the first place, then don't bother with social. If there's not an AWESOME product behind the messaging, then don't expect social to make it sell out.

I sat in a room with multiple social media directors at a conference a few weeks ago, and it ended up being a therapy session. We all felt like we're the first point of contact with clients/brands if they want to blame someone for a lack in sells, or bad messaging. They think our efforts of having authentic conversations, and passing along messages about existing products, are the blaming point for failed marketing, advertising and sales efforts. While all of these departments influence each other, social media is only as good as your brand identity, and as good as the products or ideas your are selling.

Before you put the pressure on your social media pros to create a positive, energetic conversation about your brand, look inward. Make sure you have the positive energy and quality in  in your marketing messages, in your advertising and in your products. THEN turn to your social media team to push that message out to the masses. Only then will social media come close to the magic bullet you keep claiming it is.

- Marji J. Sherman

Why do consumers unfollow brands on Twitter?

Determining how to be YOUR brand on Twitter can be hard, right?! As simple as it seems, when you get a thousand heads in one room, there is often little to no agreement on what is great content for your consumers. One person think it's direct links to buy products on the website, while another thinks it's a Meme with something to do with your brand's industry. One person thinks you need to avoid following too many people to keep up the allusion of being "exclusive", while another thinks you need to follow everyone and their mother to just get the word out. Instead of sitting for hours with your team and bang your head against the wall, why not ask your consumers?

I Tweeted the following question today: 

 

I mean, it's just as important to know what NOT to do it, as it is to know what TO do, right?! 

I was refreshed by what I read in the replies. Want to know what your consumers want? A HUMAN CONNECTION. Wow, now that seems like common sense, yet it's unbelievable how many brands avoid emoticons or sarcastic remarks in fear of being "too human". Granted, some brands don't fit the personality for sarcasm, but some do, and they are losing the opportunity to be clever with their consumers.

#1 reason?! --> If a brand is all about SELLING and not about CONVERSING. That's something we all know at heart, but it really nails it home when you see it coming through your Twitter from people around the world.

Others that caught my eye: 

• Using Twitter for ONLY customer service issues.
• No value in their content. 
• Sending the same Tweet over and over again.
• And one of my favorites, via @SocialCoaster, a disconnect between brand values and their social media voice.

 What does this mean for your brand?

• Sneak some valuable content in between all of your answers to customers. If you have enough of a customer service conversation on Twitter, consider getting a handle strictly dedicated to #CustServ.
• Find out what's valuable to your consumers, not what's valuable to you. While you might have the most amazing sports supplement in the world that you want to broadcast, maybe your customers would rather know how to avoid sports injuries or tips for using the supplement with different workout routines. THINK about their interests, not just your intentions to sell.
• It's okay to resend Tweets, but make sure it's not over and over again, and that you're content is always up to date. Don't resend Tweets from months ago.
• Make sure your social media personality aligns with your brand's values. If you're putting out conservative products with conservative advertising, then don't have an over-the-top social media voice. If you're product is fun and reaches a young generation, then don't have a conservative, monotone social media voice.

How about you?! What is your #1 reason for unfollowing a brand on Twitter? Comment below. 

- Marji J. Sherman