Leave Social Media to the Accountants

According to the Center for Media Research, six out of ten marketers plan to include social media as a component of next year’s planning. But there’s a huge gap between desire and action when it comes to social. Why?

I asked some marketing friends how they plan to integrate social next year. Here are some of the comments I received from both agency and client side folks:

“I’m fully integrating it as a tactic in plans where appropriate as either a PR or “interactive” function, depending on the preferences of the client. Considering it as an element of promotions, events, and one to one marketing. Tricky part is defining who will execute/manage it and how to get paid for it.”

“We are using it to increase awareness and perception. More PR strategy than marketing strategy.”

“Our goal is to develop social media strategies that mirror our marketing strategies, as well as our public involvement process.”

Social burst on to the scene with obvious implications for PR and Communications professionals, but it needs to be a shared organizational function to be anything less than ephemeral in the minds of companies. Imagine if we all relegated telephone access to accounting departments back in the day? Where would they be now?

Integrating social means bringing HR and Legal to the dance – as well as getting Customer Service and Sales to join in. That’s a big problem for marketers who rarely lead conversations regarding budget and staffing allocations in this brave new economy. So, where to begin?

• Start with department heads. There are plenty of reasons why a VP or C-level executive should be using social. The motivation begins with what their peers and competitors are doing in the space. Show them how using social can be asset by building the business case.
• Reach out to those hiring. Who wants to sift through 300+ resumes? Employers are quickly learning that social can be HR’s best friend in a market glutted with job seekers.
• Create a listening campaign for customer service. What are customers saying about your company online? If you’re in the B2B space and there’s no chatter, you have a golden opportunity to start the conversation.
• Identify social users from within. Conduct a survey to identify those using social networks. Earmark them to help spread the word when a long-term plan is in place.

With a little planning, marketers can have a solid presence in the space. They just need to bring everyone else along.