written by Bonnie Chomica
Social Media Lessons from Camp
I recently spent two days at Social Media Camp and am saturated with information. I thought I’d squeeze my brain and share my notes on Social Media 2.0, Content Planning, and Crisis Management.
I had some fun, too, as you can see from the cartoon image, which was magically created by Mark Siermaczeski of Cruelty-Free Cartoons. I am, by the way, dancing in my organic garden ;)
I selected my notes from three speakers including a high-level strategic perspective, and practical checklists so you can make things happen.
Power to the People
Ramona Pringle – Ramona Pringle is a creator, storyteller, educator, and researcher focused on the intersection of technology and the human experience.
Ramona Pringle reported that after ten years of social media, we’re just getting over the honeymoon stage. We’ve explored, seen the networks through rose coloured glasses, connected with loved ones, and maybe collaborated in our business.
“But, there’s burn out from being constantly connected, and a wariness in knowing that we’ve passed a tipping point, without ever having really noticed it happening, or consenting to it in a truly informed way.”
The market is saturated. So, what’s next?
What will Social Media 2.0 look like? What’s going to happen in the next six months? We probably can’t see beyond two years, because it’s changing so fast. And we’ve become a bit wary.
Kids growing up today will be in jobs that don’t even exist today. There are bot’s, virtual reality, augmented reality. Everyone wants to get into your head.
The thing that developers and marketers have to remember is that it is humans driving social media. They are not just a number on a spreadsheet or a user behind a device.
People need to come first!
From your business perspective, don’t just zoom in to deliver another post. Zoom out to consider the bigger picture and the context and value of what you are delivering to the person viewing at the other end of your post.
Your Content Planning Plan
Angela Crocker – A thought leader in online communities, digital decluttering, and content planning.
Angela recently published a book called The Content Planner. As all marketers are content creators at some level, her objective is to reduce your internet stress with mindful planning. She shared the following outline of how to plan and generate your content ideas.
- PURPOSE – Define your Project Purpose
Is it a strategic campaign, a passion project, a mission, or a blend of things? - AUDIENCE – Who are you talking to?
Create an audience persona or avatar - PLACE – On what platform are you delivering?
Determine the best media for that network, and format text, video, images accordingly - IDEAS – Gather from different perspectives
Research – go beyond Google Search. Interviews, surveys, archives, etc.
Brainstorming – tools like mindmaps, inspiration cards, on-desk toys to inspire creativity
Play – leave your work zone and do something fun to free your brain to be open to fresh thoughts - CALENDAR – Take the best ideas and put a date to them
Work backwards with each idea, identifying all the steps you need to take to get to the target date - CREATE – make it come to life
This is the implementation process, performing the tasks to get to your target date - SHARE – put it out there, and…!
You can’t just post and leave it. You have to Listen, so you can respond, interact, and fix errors. - FANS – show your respect
Ask your super fans for feedback and input on your content. Is it resonating with them, or what else would they like to see?
As with anything worth doing, take some time to test a process and make it work for you. This plan is a great starting point.
Crisis What Crisis?
Beverley Theresa – A sassy and unconventional social media strategist and consultant, Beverley has helped national businesses and brands win in the social media marketing realm.
Because social media is such an out-there public forum, you need to be prepared for when the you-know-what hits the proverbial fan if someone trashes your company or brand online. Beverley provided some sound tips for companies with employees, but the message is clear for any entrepreneur or business owner.
When someone posts something about an error or issue about your company, be ready to acknowledge it, skillfully respond to it, and then manage it further offline.
Here are some key steps to help you manage an online crisis:
PREPARE
- Have community guidelines for your employees, contractors, etc. so people aren’t scrambling when something does happen (see checklist below)
- Define the goal of each social media platform to help prepare your response
- Terms of use for participants – who is to respond or be notified to respond
SOCIAL MONITORING
- Monitor mentions of your company in each platform you participate in, plus Google Alerts
- Is anybody talking about your brand? Also look for common spelling errors of your brand.
ANALYZE
- Where did the comment come from, and where has it spread to?
CRISIS CHECKLIST
- Identify the influencer
- Pause any scheduled social media posts
- Pause any scheduled paid ads on social networks
- Create blog post addressing situation, as needed (i.e. for media)
- Communicate with your team (employees or contractors)
- Continually monitor social platforms for information or activity
- Measure impact of the negative post, how they might affect Key Performance Indicators
RESPOND
- Cool down before commenting
- Don’t intimidate or argue
- When you do respond, keep the overall audience in mind, and be sure it sounds like your brand voice, values
- Respond respectfully as soon as possible, and mention that you will contact them offline to further resolve their issue
That’s a Wrap
Social Media Camp is such a great event with something for everybody, and it’s the largest social conference in Canada. We all participate in a social media world, so I encourage you to consider attending next year.
Can’t make it to SMC, but still want help with your Social Media? Contact me for some support and hand holding.
I’m going outside to play now to boost my creative juices.
Cheers,
Bonnie
