Selecting the Right Social Media
Choose the Best Social Media Networks for a Brand or Company
Jun 28, 2009
As more and more marketers brand themselves through social media and create social media identities online, new and innovative sites and applications are being developed everyday. It is becoming very difficult to manage the influx of profiles and pages while continuing to deliver authentic, valuable content online.
The biggest mistake that a marketer can make when trying to bring their brand or product on board with Web 2.0, is that they overextend and set unrealistic goals. It is unnecessary to create a profile on every social network, community or sharing application. Instead, every marketer should begin by researching which networks and applications will provide the biggest "bang for the buck," and select the most valuable applications for key audiences.
What's the Best Way to Determine the Right Social Media for a Company?
Facebook, MySpace, Bebo, LinkedIn and Twitter are some of the most popular and fastest growing social networks online, according to Nielsen, but there are hundreds of others that may be worthwhile for a brand or company.
The best way to determine which social media applications and networks are best for a company is to begin by asking a few key questions:
- Does the product or brand have a specific demographic audience such as age, gender or lifestyle? This will aid with determining if more narrow, niche networks, like CafeMom, Ball Hype, Gather and StyleHive, are right for a brand.
- What is the current level of web presence for the brand? If the brand has a limited web presence, social media applications and networks with scalable profiles, like Squidoo, Ning and Chi.mp might be right choices.
- Is there substantial content and commitment to share on behalf of the brand? The more good content, the better suited a brand may be for more time-intensive daily sharing applications like Twitter, Jaiku and FriendFeed.
- Does the business lend itself to offering product or service reviews, or do the company's products and services receive regular reviews from customers and users? If a company gives or receives frequent reviews, epinions, blippr, and Yelp are important options.
After asking questions like the ones above, and researching in detail which applications are right for the brand, a tool like Knowem can assist marketers with determining if the handle, user name or vanity URL is available for multiple applications.
Create a Social Media Organization and Editorial Calendar
Once social media networks and applications have been selected for a company, it's crucial for marketers to be dedicated to updating all aspects of the social media fully, including profile information, regular posts and updates, photo and video posting, discussion participation and other content sharing.
Begin by putting on paper a social media implementation plan. The plan should include details about who within the organization will make social media updates and a comprehensive social media calendar, based on a realistic schedule, to ensure that social media profiles and networks are not neglected.
With careful research and planning, integrating multiple social media applications and networks into the brand's marketing mix will be consistent, seamless and easy to manage for company's of all sizes.
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