In the midst of this, you’ll probably realize one of the hardest concepts of social media is not the ‘HOW,” but the ‘WHY”. One step at a time folks, starting with Twitter.

The Twitter Breakdown

 THE HOW                          

 1. Engage –Marion recommends, to have a solid twitter foundation and worthwhile engagement, you should spend a minimum of four hours a week tweeting. It’s important to participate. Don’t be the person at the party that can’t hold a conversation OR the one with nothing more to offer than “uh huh” and a fake laugh, i.e. LOL-ing every comment.   

There are groups on twitter for nearly every imaginable industry which means there’s most likely a waiting audience for your business. Get engaged with a group by using hashtags and you will find that the recommend four hours per week can move very quickly.

2. Tweet/Retweet Links – Tweeting and retweeting links to your site is a free referral. Referring people to your site is always a good thing. Just remember, when you become too much of a good thing you’re called SPAM.

3. Reciprocate – If people follow you, follow them back. If they mention you in a specific tweet, mention them back. Twitter is about information sharing so be sure to give as well as receive.  

 …AND WHY??

Twitter is your opportunity to interact with the public. You may have access to current and potential customers, employees and their friends and family, giving you a unique opportunity to get to know your audience and let them get to know you. In other words, Twitter is the perfect avenue for  developing brand loyalty.

These are just a few recommendations. There’s a ton of uses for Twitter and social media in general. It’s all about your strategy  that drives your SMM plan.

Take a look at Marion’s quick and dirty bird’s eye view of what strategies you need to consider going forward.

Business Strategy

• Branding Strategy
  • Market Research
    • Customer Definition & Understanding
    • Customer Benefits
    • Competitor Understanding
  • Market Plan
  • Creating Brand Experience
    • Integrated Marketing Mix
    • Brand Identity
    • Company

• Goals

• Sales Strategy
• Marketing Strategy
  • SEO/ Internet Marketing Strategy
    • Company Website
    • Mobile Website
    • Google
    • Bing/Yahoo
  • Social Media Marketing Strategy
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • LinkedIn
    • Blogging
  • Public Relations Strategy

After months of speculation and water-cooler gab, Twitter finally bought out the third-party, micro-blogging hub that is Tweetdeck, for a rumored $50 million. There motive, to make our lives easier of course…And if they happen to now possess the ability to deliver more ad impressions to us Twits, then that’s just a price they’re willing to pay.

However, my big take away from this deal is the importance of strengthening your brand identity.

In March, Ryan Savar, Twitter Important Person, suggested Twitter needs “to move to a less fragmented world where every user can experience Twitter in a consistent way.”

Right-on! We Marionites firmly believe in the power of brand consistency. I have come across a lot of third-party apps, and sometimes they are poorly integrated with the real thing, leaving me feeling all empty and unsatisfied…Then I reach for the Hagen Daaz and it’s a whole big mess.

If you’re noticing some gaps in your brand identity, it’s high time to fill those holes before your business starts falling through them. Nothing can fudge up the success of your business like brand confusion.  Marion can give you a few ideas to bring unity to your identity.  

Happy Friday and enjoy your extended weekend!

Some information contained in this article can be found in Ad Age Digital.

Your company may spend countless man hours and money preparing new ideas and changes, but without undergoing a change management process those ideas will never reach every member of your company.

So where to begin? Well, change management can occur within three phases.

Phase 1 -  Be Inclusive - Preparing for Change

•  Preparation- When preparing for change, remember that it must be achievable, sustainable and measurable.
• Assessment- One of the main things to consider is involving everyone who the changes will affect. The level of involvement should be in direct relation to the level of impact.  
• Baseline and Strategy Development- When developing your strategy, be sure to assess your current baseline in order to determine what your next level will look like. 

 Phase 2 – Be Involved - Managing Change

• Detailed planning- When developing the details of your plan, you need to be specific and clear. By taking the time to sort out the details, you will need only minimum clarification.   
• Change management implementation – It is important to remember that change cannot be imposed upon employees. With that being said, keep the lines of communication open between management and employees so that every member feels involved and incorporated.

 Phase 3 – – Be Informed – Sustaining Change

• Data gathering- Now it is time to measure your results. Has your change reached every employee targeted? Are your employees embracing the change? Do you see positive or negative results? Some good ways to measure your results are through behavioral observation and review of records.
• Response- If you find that your employees have embraced the changes they most likely feel energized and excited, therefore making it easier to sustain the change. However, if your employees are having a difficult time accepting the new structure, then it would be wise to review your plans and get even more input from those highly affected.  

During the change management process, evaluate your current brand positioning and corporate identity to ensure its consistent with your evolving company. For more information, give Marion a shout.

The Social Media Test

Pull out your scantrons and No. 2 pencils folks. It’s time for a pop quiz.

Answer true or false, tally up your score and post how you did. Good luck!

1. I have the gift of gab. So in regards to social media, I do most of the gabbing.
2. I have so much going on with my company, so I mainly use social media to talk about our awesomeness.
3. I’ve read a lot of asinine posts and I typically enjoy telling people how asinine their posts are.
4. I don’t (or my company doesn’t) have a Facebook business page.
5. I don’t (or my company doesn’t) participate in LinkedIn discussion groups.
6. I think social media platforms are mainly for pushing product.  
7. Business profiles are supposed to be professional. No fun allowed!
8. I’m a leader not a follower, even if it is on Twitter.
9. So many people “Like” me on Facebook. It’s like high school (in my imagination) all over again – BUT I haven’t liked them back. I’m just not that into them…
10. That’s right, a blog…I completely forgot I have a blog…
11. No my business card does not feature my social media links…but I do have my fax number…
12. I don’t respond to negative posts on my social media profiles. I delete them. I don’t have time for this hater-ation.
13. It’s my account so I should be able to control the discussion.
14. I don’t ask people to check-in to my location, I’m not their mom (and if I was, I’d be too cool for that).
15. I’m not the “Mayor” of any location in my area…and I don’t plan on running…
16. My company logo is the profile pic for all social media accounts. My mug is just not meant to be in a ¾  x ¾ inch square.
17. There’s not a real person posting to my account. One less thing I have to do…
18. I say “Find us on Facebook” instead of providing the link…scavenger hunts are more fun anyway.
19. I don’t need to blog or tweet or anything. I just did all that jive a month ago…
20. It’s all about ROI. What the H-E-double toothpicks is ROE??
21. Social media is about ME!
22. Sharing is caring…Psyche!

  All of your answers should be false. Give yourself a point every time you answered false.

…And in case you’re wondering what your score means…

0-15 “False” Answers: The bad news is you failed, but the good news is your hair looks great. Also, there is ample opportunity to improve your social media marketing strategy.

16 “False” Answers: So you passed with a ‘C’. It won’t go on my refrigerator or anything, but it’s ok.  Work on changing those “Trues” to “Falses” and you’re on the right track.

17 -22 “False” Answers: So you’re the overachiever that messes up the curve for everybody. This is great news and your work has gotten you on Marion’s Dean List. Don’t stop there! Make sure you strengthen all facets of your online presence. Is your website optimized?

Read other “Dont’s” in social media, compliments of Don the Idea Guy.