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In business, new strategic initiatives demand buy-in from a number of stakeholders, not least of which are the senior decision makers. When it comes to gaining support for implementing an effective social media communications strategy that ticks all the right social and business boxes, it is time to convince the C's. Or perhaps they need to convince themselves!
As a leading financial services communications firm, BlueChip has developed a range of tools and tips, based on years of experience in social media working with C-suiters, their reports and a wider range of stakeholders.
We understand that, once engaged, C-suite support (and enthusiasm) will cascade through your organisation ensuring the wider business also supports the process. Miss this initial senior step, it is likely that you may also miss out completely on the many benefits social media can offer your business.
The following is a five point plan designed to guide C-suite team members as they seek to better understand the risks and opportunities afforded by social media communications tools. It also helps to clarify the importance of reputation management in the social media sphere, in turn driving a stronger commercial rationale in support of your social media strategy.
- Convincing the Board: Social media is a valuable, owned channel that can touch target audiences immediately and ultimately, at a very low cost. However, it is important to articulate SMART KPIs that reflect your overall business objectives. Measurement of KPIs is therefore a given, so also ensure the correct tools are in place to record and track measurement of your agreed goals. Once the Board sees the difference social media can make in targeting and attracting a positive commercial response reflected in the hard, underlying numbers, then you are well on your way to creating long-term social devotees.
- Social media 101: Are you seeking everything you ever wanted to know about social media but were too afraid to ask? Don't be put off. You are not alone in grappling with the new constructs of the rapidly developing social media world. In fact, we spend a lot of time working with C-suite teams to "induct" them into the social media sphere. Typically, this induction introduces the various social media channels available allowing the group to agree the tools that are most relevant to their business. BlueChip's Social Media 101 course also encourages each C-suite member to mobilise their personal effort: set up a profile, gain experience and build understanding on the chosen channels.
- Social media policy: Risk management is crucial. So setting in place agreed rules via a social media policy can make a huge difference to protecting corporate reputation. The C-suite team will ideally be involved in developing the social media policy and guidelines. The document should reflect existing business policies and procedures, and overtly reference these within the document. There is no right or wrong way to go about it, but to learn more about social media policies, check out a BlueChip article previously written on this topic here.
- Strategy: As with sales, marketing and every other organisational function, a social media strategy aligned with your business objectives, culture, values and reputation should be developed. Again, tracking and measurement is key. Having a clearly defined social media strategy allows CEOs to measure brand success and assists in making the case for any stakeholders who may not yet be convinced. Your strategy would also give light to your objectives as well as explain what each social media channel is used for.
- Training: It is the ultimate responsibility of business leaders that every employee is appraised of policies and procedures and effectively skilled where appropriate. This includes social media training. An organisation's social media policy will also cover business risk, should an incident occur with an employee acting outside the confines of the policy. Finally, social media is still a fledgling but very exciting medium - every day new laws are introduced or new technology launched. Are you keeping up? All C-suite executives should get involved in ongoing social learning as a team.
Social media reputation management cannot be ignored in this growing digital world – for a copy of the BlueChip online reputation risk checklist, or for more information email askus@bluechipcommmunication.com.au.
