THE FIVE HATS OF SOCIAL MEDIA

C O P Y R I G H T @ S O C I A L S T A T U S 2 0 1 2

source:  www.power-advertising.co.uk

1. PUBLIC RELATIONS HAT (PR HAT)

This hat will help you deal with any information between your business and the public.

Enhance your knowledge of PR in Social Media http://www.hubspot.com/Portals/53/docs/ebooks/pr%20ebook-final.pdf

Be prepared by setting up a crisis management strategy - http://www.socialmediamarketing.org/social-media-crisis-management.html. 

Use this hat when you are dealing with clients, customers, employees, the press especially when you are managing issues or crises!

(Red is for energy, war, danger, strength, power, determination as well as for feelings, hunches and intuition)

Copyright @ Social Status 2012

2. CONTENT HAT

Content Hat – for creating,  finding, editing, sourcing, researching and generating content – so this hat will help you with any form

of social media content.

Set up a calendar to plan your content - http://executive-virtual-assistant.com/executive-virtual-assistant-menu/freebies

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Use this hat to help you find, source, write, edit, assess information, when you need to check facts and when you need

to create your own content!

(Orange is for enthusiasm, fascination, happiness, creativity, determination, attraction, success, encouragement, and

stimulation).

Copyright @ Social Status 2012

3. CUSTOMER SERVICE HAT

Customer service hat – This hat will help with all the customer service inquiries, queries and services needed .

Here’s an eBook from radian 6 on Customer Service in the Age of Social Media - http://

www.radian6.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Radian6_May2010_eBookwithcode.pdf

Here's a social customer service report from Brandwatch- http://www.brandwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/brandwatch/BW-Report-Customer-Service-Index-2012.pdf

Use this hat when dealing with clients, customers and social media accounts as well as when you connect with people both on and

offline!

(Blue is for trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, intelligence, faith, truth, and heaven as well as aiding the thinking process.)

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4. ADVERTISING/MARKETING HAT

Advertising/Marketing Hat – This hat will help you promote, advertise and market your brand.

Have a look at this explanation of New Media Advertising and Marketing - http://baruchnewmedia.com/wiki/Marketing_and_Advertising_using_New_Media

Social Media/New Media still requires old/traditional media methods to reach your fans/followers/customers.  (TV ads, print ads, leaflets, flyers, mail drops, radio

advertising, guerrilla marketing, email marketing, launches, events, videos, campaigns etc.)

Focus on which method is appropriate for your business, test out different forms of media, use email marketing and reach a wider range of people. 

Use this hat when you are planning your marketing, assessing your advertising/marketing and coming up with campaigns and strategies!

(Purple is associated with wisdom, dignity, independence, creativity, mystery, and magic.)

Copyright @ Social Status 2012

5. COMMUNICATIONS HAT

 

Communications Hat –This hat focuses on branding, messages, personality, identity, tone, culture, interests and the way you socially communicate with

the public.

Listen to: Game Changers: A Conversation about Social Media, Brand Identity, and PR - http

://www.focus.com/roundtables/game-changers-conversation-about-social-media-brand-identity/

Think of this as the friendly, approachable hat.

Use this hat to exchange messages between your business and the public, to engage with people online as well as to build relationships with people on and offline, to share content, to promote social media good, to sometimes

go off topic, to highlight other businesses/campaigns or ideas

 (Green is for growth, harmony, freshness, fertility as well as possibilities, alternatives, and new ideas)

USE EACH HAT FOR SOCIAL MEDIA!

By putting on a hat which is suitable for each task; you will be able to focus and concentrate on the task.

Social Media is best when it is holistic, which means combining a whole range of skills, experiences, techniques and services when you use

social media.

Use each of the five hats; to grow and develop your skills in each area.

By using each hat; you will be providing a better relationship to your customers/fans/followers and focus on what is necessary and needed to

get the job done.

 I used this website for an explanation of colours and what they represent  - http://www.color-wheel-pro.com/color-meaning.html

Thank you to Edward De Bono for his six thinking hats which inspired this content http://www.debonogroup.com/six_thinking_hats.php/

Copyright @ Social Status 2012

Social Status – Social Media Training, Assistance and Setuphttp://www.wix.com/ebbyeryan/socialstatus