Andrew Gormley

If the advice of “gurus” is to be believed, then regardless of who you are or what your business does—whether you’re a local mom and pop shop or a huge international conglomerate—you should be leveraging social media. As a avid user of many social media services myself, I can personally attest that if your execution is poor or feels half-hearted, you will fail at gaining any traction and possibly do more harm than good.

Let’s single out Twitter for a minute: There are literally hundreds of huge brands using Twitter right now, but really only a handful of ones using it effectively. A few of these shining examples include:

1. Starbucks — Consistently posts new offers and actively engages with their followers in discussions. They also use Twitter as a platform to promote their new blog posts, actively driving users to their site.
2. JetBlue — Has an entire team set up to answer any customer service questions, actively solicit feedback from users, and address customer concerns over relevant issues like TSA procedures, security protocols, and more.
3. Comcast — I have personally been assisted by Comcast through their Twitter account. What initially began as a simple tweet griping about my service turned into a full-on support session that actually solved my problem. They actively listen and reach out to their users. Not a bad start for a company notorious for consistently poor customer service.
4. Whole Foods — Offers up a variety of content, namely contests and new recipes. They also provide suggestions for food-related podcasts and actively engage their users on a more personal level by asking simple questions like “What’s everyone watching tonight?”
5. H&R Block — Provides links to relevant articles and tips on the sometimes unpleasant experience of filing your taxes. The information they provide links to a variety of sites and also back to their own “Get It Right” community site for asking and answering questions.

Despite the differences in what these companies actually do, the common thread they all share when it comes to Twitter is: focus. Each company has one overarching focus for their Twitter stream and, in a few cases, a secondary and even a tertiary focus as well. This is important because it sets clear expectations for the followers as well as gives the people working behind the account guidelines for engaging their audience. I wouldn’t send a tweet to Comcast asking what’s good on TV tonight because that doesn’t fall into the scope of what they provide. I would, however, ask Whole Foods what vegetables they recommend for a chicken stir-fry because that’s one of their focus areas.

The same rules apply when creating a Facebook fan page as well. According to research performed across 20 brands by social media measurement firm Syncapse, each Facebook fan is worth a median value of $136.38. A more interesting number in that same document states that each fan reported spending $71.84 more per year than non-fans. While those exact numbers may not be directly applicable to your product or service, the idea that fans (and, to a degree, followers) spend more than non-fans should at least have you raising an eyebrow.

In regards to Facebook, compared to Twitter, it comes down to execution more so than focus due to the nature of the platform—easily being able to post, comment, like, and share a variety of media. Of the companies researched, all of them have a carefully curated Facebook page experience offering wall posts, videos, photos, and even custom apps you can add to your own page. In the end, the businesses using Twitter and Facebook successfully all share a few commonalities:

• Engage your fans/followers — Seems pretty straightforward, but a lot of companies will just syndicate their blog posts or promotions and never actually strike up a conversation, thus taking the whole “social” part out of the equation
• Put a face to the name — Some of the top brands on Twitter don’t use the company logo as the avatar, but rather the face behind the accounts. Sony’s marketing campaign starring the fictional Kevin Butler, the VP of [insert witty title], spans television, print, a YouTube channel and all the way to their Twitter account where he maintains the same quirky, pseudo-serious humor that made the commercials so popular. In that same vein of thinking…
• Consistent updates — People spend a lot of time on Facebook and Twitter, so it’s not something a company can just log on to once a week, post an update to, and expect results.
• Don’t just self-promote — If all you do is post links to your own blog or website, then no one will want to follow you. Encourage users to submit questions and feedback or link to blogs and articles you think they’ll find useful. Your fans or followers will appreciate your efforts to share relevant content with them.

I’m not saying that you have to hire an outside firm to handle your social media campaigns (in fact, I’m firmly against that idea), but if you or your company don’t have the time or resources to meet these minimum requirements, then perhaps social media isn’t an avenue you’d like to travel down. It’s difficult, time consuming, and chancy with no immediate measurement for success—unlike other forms of marketing like Google AdWords. But, as the old adage goes: no risk, no reward.

The principals and ideas outlined here are by no means limited to a single platform or service and, in many ways, should be adhered to in all correspondence with your customers—whether via email, social media sites, blog comment, or just a good old phone call. If you ensure that you have a specific focus before diving headlong into uncharted territory, you can craft a viable ecosystem with a concrete return on investment.