I've been recently researching all the information I can find on the 'best practises' , so to speak of building a social media platform for a company, or a brand.
Links to people you know are all good and well, but the key to making LinkedIn work for you, either as a professional reference tool, or as a networking tool is to interact with your connections and to join groups.
Facebook
It really has become something of a full time job, managing the Twitter, Google+ and Facebook Pages for our company , keeping my details relevant on LinkedIn , and making the content relevant, and not redundant, whilst trying to maintain and build a sufficient following that would justify all the effort.
I've realised a few things - some on my own as I've worked through what it means to have a Page on facebook that only 20 odd people follow. Some realisations have literally hit me in the face while reading up on the do's and don't of maintaining a social presence. And unfortunetly some of them I have had to learn the hard way.
So here's my take on this whole social networking for companies idea, grouped by the platform it relates to
1. Join Groups and Forums - but don't just and watch from the sidelines - if you don't participate , no one will know you, and you won't get the benefit of networking.
2. Don't post junk , or advertise something that has no relevance to your group, your spamming is rude , and very few groups, open or closed will tolerate it.
3. Make a group . If there are no groups for introverted philatelists from India living in Wollongong, and you think there should be - then make one. Nothing stops you from creating and moderating a group, just keep in mind points 4 and 5
4. Don't stop moderating your group - or drop off the radar. If things change , pass the reins to someone who can keep up to date with being a Group Admin.
5. Don't make a group if there are already 100 of the same. There is nothing more irritating than being confronted with the choice to join 6 groups that appear distinct , and they all have the same members , posting the same discussions and the same comments.
6. Ask for recommendations - the chances are, people are not going to connect with you ,unless they liked you at work. Don't be afraid to ask for a recommendation from an ex-Collegue or ex-Boss. People read them, especially people that don't know you since they want to see what other people think of you. If you get a recommendation, reciprocate. It's polite.
7. Do not give a recommendation unless you are prepared to type it up from scratch, and really think about what you are saying about the person. Don't use Templates. They can be spotted a mile away.
6. Ask for recommendations - the chances are, people are not going to connect with you ,unless they liked you at work. Don't be afraid to ask for a recommendation from an ex-Collegue or ex-Boss. People read them, especially people that don't know you since they want to see what other people think of you. If you get a recommendation, reciprocate. It's polite.
7. Do not give a recommendation unless you are prepared to type it up from scratch, and really think about what you are saying about the person. Don't use Templates. They can be spotted a mile away.
Having a page is one thing. Posting updates is another. And having enough followers to have access to the Insights is a whole other story all by itself.
Facebook Pages for companies reminds me somewhat of High School. People either Like your page, or they don't , and even if they do, there's no guarantee they'll stick around. And it can all be very distressing when you 'uhmmed' and 'aahhed' about the exact wording of your updates for 3 hours every day , only to realise that 15 of your 20 followers are loyal family members.
Here's what I have learned about having a company Facebook Page
1. Just because it's there, doesn't mean it will be followed. This is not the Field of Dreams, and even commenting and linking to Kevin Costner is not going to get you a fabulous following.
2. Unless you have something to give away for free ( like free T-Shirts,holidays or tickets to a fabulous sporting event) - you are going to have to advertise and promote your page on as many platforms and places as humanly possible. On your website, on your blog, in every email you send out , if your product is software ( like ours) , then in the software itself. Take out a Facebook advert if you have the budget for it.
3. Use your friends. Don't be shy. Ask them nicely to like your page, and then give them detailed instructions on how to filter your updates without having to 'unlike' your page if they don't want to see your company updates.
4. Don't just do the boring stuff. Find interesting and relevant articles, blogs , videos and links relevant to your industry , and post them .
5. If you have nothing to say then don't post an update- there is nothing worse than a useless update from a company , that
- says nothing about the company, or
- has no entertainment or informative value .
6.If you have lots to say , store it , and spread it out over a few days. Some blogs and social media experts will tell you that more is better because people get all the updates all the time from everyone else, and they need to see your stuff on top no matter what time they login and take a look. I say - Hogwash. Once per day, with something relevant and real is a million times better than flooding your followers with irrelevant nonsense just for the sake of posting.
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