Signs your organization social strategy needs a refresh

Dr. Anderson Uvie-Emegbo
| credits: File copy

Once I was sitting with a group of experienced digital and social marketing specialists. As expected, the discussion turned to the state of their digital marketing initiatives. The common thread among these digital drivers was that it was becoming harder to sustain the level of interest their fans on social media had with their brands.

More worrying was that their digital and social marketing spending has been increasing over the past two years. It was time for a reality check. It was possibly time for a digital and social media refresh.

Keeping an organisation’s digital profile consistently on the fast lane can be an epic battle that sometimes defies the smartest of teams.

Like my friends, here are some ways to tell if your social media strategy needs a refresh:

Your fan base has stagnated

This is right. A brand I know was adding about 1,500 unique members weekly across its social community about a year ago. In the last few months, it has struggled to gain 30 new fans weekly. Where did all the growth go?

How much of the brand’s growth was organic? (Not much). How much of it was induced and sustained by paid digital marketing activities?(Most). What was the plan for growing its fan base through earned and owned media? (Can’t say and if there was, its execution was suboptimal)

Even more important is the quality of its new fans. In the initial stage of growing a social community, the temptation is usually there to grow the numbers rapidly. Quality is sacrificed for quantity. I have always maintained that it is better to have a fewer and more passionate fans than to have many but disconnected fans. Quantity can become a distraction and it can give an undiscerning brand or its managers a false sense of achievement. If the growth of your social community has stagnated, do not despair. This may be the beginning of better things for you and your organisation. It may be a call to start afresh and achieve a better outcome this time.

It is only when digital and social goals align with overall corporate goals that social marketing becomes a business asset. For this to happen, every organisation’s social efforts should focus on attracting and retaining peculiar persons that fit into the profile of its target audience. Every other person is surplus to this requirement. Do not keep the excess baggage you are carrying. It is time to travel light. Let us stay focused.

You have many more disconnecting fans

There was a time when your average post generated about 100 user interactions (likes, comments, shares, views, retweets, mentions, favourites and downloads). In those good old days, the ratio of positive to negative sentiments was at all-time high. The love affair between fans and your brand was strong. But steadily, the decline set in. Like all relationships, it might get to a point when we take loved ones, colleagues and friends for granted. Social media is no different. Mind you, the exodus may come from either party or both. What may be value for some of your fans a year ago, may no longer be value for them today. Is your content top notch? What efforts are you making towards content creation, curation and collation process?

Is your team having some digital fatigue? Do they need a refresher course? Do they need more incentives? Do they need to up skill their competence? Do you need an entirely new team? Is your social strategy still up-to-date? Have you taken your eyes off your original roadmap? Are you in the complex world of copying what the next brand is doing on social media? Have you found your niche? Have you created your unique inimitable style? Have you the surprise element? Are you rewarding actual customers who are fans or those who will never and can never be customers? What proportion of your fans engages with your brand online? What percentage of your competitors’ fans engages with their brands online?

Other departments are ignoring your efforts

There was a time when you mentioned “social media” and many departments within your organisation trembled with fear over every new comment posted by a customer. There was a time when your internal emails for support got near instant responses. Nowadays, there is a turn around. People have found a way around their organisations social media challenges. A fewer people by the day seem to be interested in any new things your team has found out. You are old school and stale news.

How did it all go wrong? Did you antagonise your colleagues? Did you make your work seem more important? How well did you carry them along as you went about your digital and social transformation? Have you outstayed your welcome? Do other teams desire the results you have achieved through social media? Have you been playing lone ranger? Maybe it is time to rebuild your collaboration strategy. Chances are the other teams see your role as a support function. It is better they see and perceive you as providing real support. Please reset the clock.

Too many platforms, too little resources

Is there still continued business justification to maintain your brand’s presence on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Google Plus, You Tube, Vimeo, Blogs, Foursquare, WeChat, WhatsApp, BlackBerry Messenger, 2go and Eskimi? As these platforms evolve and your customers’ needs change, can you handle all the accompanying disruption? Can your team keep up with the pace of these changes? Maybe it is time to stick to the platforms that are mostly in use by your prospective and current customers/stakeholders. What will you lose if you switch off from one or more of these platforms? It is never too late to walk along the lonely road where “less is sometimes more”.