Crucial elements for social media engagement

Altimeter provide a continuing sources of great perspectives and insight into new media. While these are very general they are like channels that can be explored. For each element complete strategies and programs can be designed and implemented to improve your social media engagement. I have been advocating the point of programs that ensures everyone in an organisation should be involved in social media comment. So I particularly like point 2 below.

Altimeter website.

1. Emphasize quality not just quantity

Engagement is more than just setting up a blog and letting viewers post comments; it’s more than just having a Facebook profile and having others write on your wall. It’s also about keeping your blog content fresh and replying to comments; it’s building your friends network and updating your profile status. Don’t just check the box; engage with your customer audience.

2. To scale engagement make social media part of everyone’s job

The best practice interviews have a common theme — social media is no longer the responsibility of a few people in the organization. Instead, it’s important for everyone across the organization to engage with customers in the channels that make sense — a few minutes each day spent by every employee adds up to a wealth of customer touch points.

3. Doing it all may not be for you – but you must do something

The optimal social media marketing strategy will depend on a variety of factors, including your industry. If your most valuable customers do not depend on or trust social media as a communication medium, or if your organization is resistant to engagement in some channels, you will have to start smaller and slower. But start you must, or risk falling far behind other brands, not only in your industry, but across your customers’ general online experience.

4. Find your sweetspot

Engagement can’t be skin-deep, nor is it a campaign that can be turned on and off. True engagement means full engagement in the channels where you choose to invest. Thus, choose carefully and advocate strongly to acquire the resources and support you will need to succeed. If you are resource-constrained, it is better to be consistent and participate in fewer channels than to spread yourself too thin.