Creating an inclusive digital communications

strategy

5 July 2016

What we’ll be looking at today

• How to write a social media strategy

• Understanding of key trends

• Understanding of opportunities and risks

• Practical tips on crisis comms

Social media strategy: you have one job

"Don't underestimate the

value of water cooler chat on

social media. It shows that

your organisation is human.”

Social media must be linked to your organisation’s goals. Where are

you going and how are you going to get there ?

Many of your goals can be achieved through social media.

How to link your organisational and social

media strategies

Organisational

strategy

Marketing strategy

Social media strategy

How to link your organisational and social

media strategies

Organisational

strategy

Sample: represent your students’ interests

Marketing strategy

Campaign on issues important to students

Social media strategy

Target students and decision makers on social media

Social media strategy headings

• Environmental analysis- i.e. macro factors for similar organisations (use SWOT/PEST etc.) and micro factors specific to your organisation e.g. competitors and main challenges for management/ finances

• Set SMART objectives- clear and specific goals e.g. to gain 10k twitter followers/ connect to 10 influential student bloggers on social media

• Key messages- the key statements you want people to remember about your organisation

• Priority segments- who will you prioritise in your audience? This is a good opportunity to review your stakeholders

• Positioning- how do you want to be regarded? How will social media develop your brand?

• Evaluation- how will you know if your social media strategy has been a success? What metrics will you use?

Let’s put together your strategy

What does success look like?

How to set goals for social media measurement:

• Align goals with organisational and marketing strategies

• Ask yourself ‘why’ for each goal you set

• Measure online AND offline

• Interrogate the data- what does it really tell you?

• Avoid chasing numbers for their own sake

If you do nothing else….

• Use the free tools e.g. Facebook insights and Twitter analytics

• On Twitter track follower growth, retweets, mentions, replies and mention reach

• On Facebook measure likers, shares, comments, page and user posts

• Try some simple split A/B testing to see what works best

Key social media trends #1:

real time engagement

42% of consumers expect a response on social media within one hour,

and 32% think it should be within 30 minutes.

Key social media trends #2:

SEO is key

• 33% of Google traffic

goes to the first item

listed

• The more people who

share your content the

higher your site will rank

• Optimise your social

media posts for search

e.g. by including relevant

keywords and hashtags

• Today 88% of consumers

are influenced by reviews

and online comments

Key social media trends #3:

reaching influencers

• Identify your goals. Who do you want to reach: people who will buy your products/

services, other leaders, journalists, bloggers

• Map which channels they use

• Start connecting with them and keep nurturing the relationship e.g. by tweeting

them great content, listening to their conversations, meeting them offline

Key social media trends #4:

messaging apps are growing faster than social

• In Asia, chat apps are already de facto home screens where many people shop, game, make

plans, & order transportation

• Customer service is an obvious growth area for messaging apps

• Millennials prefer to use chat apps rather than call someone

Source https://contently.com/strategist/2016/06/03/6-takeaways-marketers-mary-meekers-internet-trends-report/

Know your audience

How does your audience use social media?

• Which platforms are they on?

• How are they using them?

• How could you best engage with them on there?

Know your competitors

• How are other organisations using social media?

• Keep an eye on your competitors, other nonprofits, corporates and public sector

bodies

• What have you learned that could work for your organisation?

The social media ‘rule of thirds’

•⅓ of your social content promotes your business, converts

prospects, and generates profit. Selling

•⅓ of your social content should surface and share ideas and

stories from thought leaders in your industry or like-minded

businesses. Sharing

•⅓ of your social content should be based on personal

interactions and build your personal brand. Listening

What other channels are you using?

How to handle trolls

Crisis comms tips

• Take a deep breath before responding!

• Understand their intentions

• Who are you dealing with?

• Tailor your response- don’t cut and paste!

• Keep it factual and positive

• Know when to take the conversation offline

• Comply with your social media guidelines

and policy

Thanks for listening

Zoe Amar MCIM

Director, Zoe Amar Communications

zoe@zoeamar.com

077 644 98168

@zoeamar

www.zoeamar.com