There’s a fantastic new report out that highlights different businesses approach to social media. Although Aberfield Communications great insight into how businesses are maximising social media (or aren’t!) focuses on the 150 largest businesses here in Yorkshire, there are real lessons to be learned for every business – even those outside ‘God’s Great County’!
First of all, for those that are ‘local’ here is the bad news – we’re lagging behind the rest of the country. For you and for everyone else, the report highlights 5 ‘approaches’ to social media and this is where we can all learn. They’ve cleverly classified them as ‘animal’ types – which one are you?
Are You….
The Ostrich….
Ostriches have no apparent presence on social media, and don’t recognise the potential benefits of social media. They definitely have their head in the sand!
The Meerkat…..
Meerkats have popped their head up a little but they are nervous and cautious. As a result, they are not doing much on social media.
The Magpie……
Magpies have a basic presence on social media. They like the ‘new and shiny’, but have made no attempt to build a following or to fully engage.
The Monkey…..
Monkeys are definitely more committed to social media and do have a strong presence. However, their focus is on activity, not engagement and they defintely need to stand still and be more strategic in their approach!
The Lion….
Lions are the ‘kings’ of the social media jungle! They are not just communicating, but engaging with others and work hard to positively influence how they are seen.
So, which one are you? Interestingly, we ran a session with 25 local forward thinking business leaders last week on this stuff and got them to categorise themselves – some were Magpies, but most were Monkeys! The consensus was that creating a strategic focus and approach to social media was key missing thing.
You can download the report here – it’s well, well worth a read!
So, here are some questions you might want to consider in your ‘strategic’ approach to social media…
- What do we want to achieve and get out of it?
- Which ‘channels’ make sense for us? (hint: think about your target and existing customers here)
- What’s the best format and frequency of approach? (again, what makes sense for your customers and contacts?)
- How will we measure ‘success’?
- Who’s going to actually do it?
And finally, please don’t leave these questions just for your social media marketing – use them for ALL your marketing!
