GUEST BLOG: Integrating and maximising social media and corporate communications

By David Kinch, account director, Hume Brophy

Social media is the new norm and while Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn to name a few, are globally known platforms, they are by no means the only ones used.

Today we are all familiar with social media and the impact it has on society and our day-to-day lives.

There are a multitude of social media platforms that focus on specific geographies, age categories or user interests. The only certainty in this ever-evolving landscape is that social media is a permanent reality that will only continue to become more relevant to our professional and personal lives.

There is a misconception in some quarters within the business community that social media is the preserve of retail businesses, FMCG brands or organisations that operate in a less regulated space.

This misunderstanding describes a number of common trends we see when working with corporates. These include a lack of understanding of how social media works, a fear of potentially open conversations and a lack of awareness of broader audiences such as customers and competitors.

These factors prevent organisations from maximising their reach and relevance among new and existing audiences.

So how should corporates address this fear, take control and utilise relevant communications channels that can generate a return for relatively little investment.

Content is king … it must ideally be engaging and encourage online users to read, watch, listen and share to promote

1. Think strategically

As with all business functions, strategic thinking and detailed planning in relation to communications is required to achieve the desired objectives. When planning, it is important to consider all audiences, internal and external.

As part of the planning process examine the social media presence of competitors, clients and prospective clients as well as the type of content they are developing. While it is important to develop a distinct presence and voice, the chances are these stakeholders are involved in relevant conversations and looking to reach the same audience as you.

2. Social media channels

Not all social media channels are appropriate so it is important to take an informed look at what is right for your business or organisation. Whether it is LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook or Snapchat, the platform(s) should provide you with a means to reach your audiences with impact and with content that engages them to deliver a return on investment.

Do your research and choose a platform(s) that will ideally drive traffic to your website thus encouraging people to engage with the organisation. It is important that the platform is the most appropriate and there is a commitment to continuously update and provide content. Over time, this sustained level of activity will serve to increase your reach and overall presence among all target audience.

3. Content

Content is king, whether it is industry insights, company news or product and service offerings, it must ideally be engaging and encourage online users to read, watch, listen and share to promote you among other potential customers.

Whether you use video, podcast or blog, content will be determined by considerations such as the content message, budget, online presence and overall objectives.

One way to identify what your audience wants is to analyse your website traffic, specifically looking at the pages/content that has been visited most. These insights can be used to inform the type of content you create for your target audiences.

David Kinch, Hume Brophy

4. Get involved

While some companies or organisations still do not have a social media presence, the reality in most cases is that their internal and external audiences do, whether it is at an organisational or individual level.

Therefore, when developing a strategy, look at the activity of your employees, particularly those that use social media channels for business.

Social media is used professionally every day for a wide variety of reasons such as research, networking, news, identifying new customers and interacting with existing clients and partners.

While clear guidelines and processes that ensure all communications are appropriate should be developed, you should also ideally look to encourage and empower these online users within your organisation.

By supporting them, you are enabling them to play an active part in the business, encouraging strategic buy-in and ensuring your online presence where your clients and other stakeholders are active.

Whether you use video, podcast or blog, content will be determined by considerations such as the content message, budget, online presence and overall objectives

The world is a relatively small place and regardless of your industry, business or overall size the reality is that you are being discussed online whether it is on message boards, blogs or micro blogging platforms such as Twitter.

Social media represents a positive opportunity for companies and organisations to drive these conversations, gather valuable information on key stakeholders and increase reach to benefit the bottom line.