Is Your Social Media Social Enough?

In 1936, Dale Carnegie published his first edition of How to Win Friends and Influence People, a book that would quickly rise to international acclaim as one of the best-selling publications in history. Carnegie’s relationship-focused tactics, like demonstrating genuine interest and developing good listening skills, helped millions adopt a more personable approach in business communications.

Nearly a hundred years after its original publishing date, How to Win Friends and Influence People was ranked Number 19 on Time Magazine's list of the 100 most influential books. Carnegie’s principles of social strategy and relationship building have stood the test of time and technological advances.

While our world had moved away from traditional methods of communication, and towards technology-based channels, building genuine connections with one another remains a top priority across communities. The Technological Age has certainly changed organizational options for communications; however, it hasn’t disrupted basic human desire for quality social exchange. Just because organizations have implemented more digitally-facilitated communication tools into their outreach strategy, doesn’t mean consumers expect these channels to be any less personable than the gracious embraces of Carneige’s era.

Social Media is the Relationship Tool of the Future

Social media usage has quickly replaced traditional communication methods and leisure time activities as billions of users have downloaded social media apps and integrated posting, snapping, and sharing into their daily lives. By the year 2021, over three billion people are projected to be active on social media - that’s almost half the worldwide population!

Social media is the 21st century go-to for news headlines, community updates, professional advice, recipe suggestions, shopping deals, and adorable baby/kitten/singing costumed parrot memes. American social media users are spending an average of sixteen minutes every waking hour on social media - collective usage that can accumulate into more than five years of the user’s life spent scrolling social media feeds. Social media has become a one-stop-shop for pretty much everything - from research to recreation, making this platform an essential element of any organization’s communications strategy.

Social media provides organizations a variety of tools to advance their brand, broadcast their message, and connect with potential clients and supporters. Thanks to Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, Snapchat, and dozens of other popular social media apps, organizations can reach their target audience with just a few clicks of a button; however, what keeps their digitally-delivered message from getting lost in the already-congested stream of internet noise?

A relationship-focused social media strategy.

How can an organization compete with all those adorable puppy videos and eighties hair #TBT posts?

By being super social. Not spammy – social, in a way that builds meaningful connections, fosters community, and recruits brand evangelists that will tirelessly spread the message about your amazing organization across their social media networks.

Here are a few ways to ensure your organization’s social media is truly social enough:

Social media success requires engaging conversation.

The execution of a successful social media strategy is very much a two-way street – not a steady stream of one-sided organizational promotions. Annual fundraising drives, company updates, and service improvements are all good things that can be included in an organization's social media strategy; however, it’s important to recognize this organization-focused content broadcasting isn’t very engaging.

Focusing digital communication objectives on facilitating engaging conversations within your target audience, instead of delivering endless look-at-me organizational announcements, is a good foundation from which to build an effective social media strategy.

Any tennis players out there?

Just like conversing with a friend, a social convo should resemble a tennis game, with the ball (conversation) going back and forth between players (the brand and social media users). Asking social media followers questions, encouraging follower participation/feedback, and facilitating interactive opportunities like contests, surveys, and user-generated campaign content are just a few ways today’s organizational leader can turn social media into an engaging platform.

Social media is all about the user and the user experience.

A cornerstone communications concept from Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People book is to invite the other person to talk about themselves, their lives, and their interests while demonstrating active listening techniques.

Chances are, you’ve met someone that implemented these others-focused tactics into their communications toolbox. Maybe it was a teacher, a neighbor, or a salesman. In face-to-face communications, these audience-oriented speakers are a joy to interact with, as they leave everyone feeling like the most important person in the room. These foundational relationship strategies can cross the digital divide, and provide a similar experience for social media users with digitally-savvy organizations.

Both in-person and online, people enjoy talking about themselves. They like having their life, their interests, their pursuits put on center stage, and showcased for all the world to see.

Skeptical?

Check out the Instagram hashtags: #mylife, #selfietime, and #whatieat .

Social media users enjoy creating and engaging with user-focused content. Very few social media users really care about an organization’s product or service; instead, users care about how the content affects their lives. Socially-savvy organizations will strive to provide social media users with an opportunity to chime in the conversation and share their experiences.  This user experience-oriented communications strategy is especially important when connecting with Millennial and Gen Z consumers.

Shareable content is social strategy kryptonite.

Social media has changed the way we share content. Instead of swapping stories around the dinner table or mailing newspaper clippings along with a handwritten note, today’s social media users are able to quickly share content with their friends and family. Social media users are quick to message or tag their inner circle in a funny video, a holiday special, or brand recommendation. Electronic means of connecting are quickly dominating modern communication between friends and family.

In 2013, researchers at UCLA sought to identify content characteristics that contributed to high levels of social sharing. Entertaining, inspirational, and helpful content was reported to “be shared” across social networks at a higher frequency than other types of content (like less engaging company updates). Additional research noted that social media content that succeeded in evoking an emotional response in the user also saw more frequent sharing among social media users.

Creating sharable content can help organizational leaders expand their brand’s online community while engaging existing followers, and creating ambassadors through the process of social sharing. Innovative marketing managers will prioritize the creation of rich, original content that’s easily shared across multiple popular social media platforms. Engaging media, coupled with thought-provoking copy, can work to grab the social media user’s attention and encourage distribution within their social network.

Is your organization’s social media social enough?

Developing an effective social media strategy isn’t as easy as 1...2...3…post...instantly go viral.

Crafting a relationship-focused social media strategy that prioritizes engaging conversation, a positive user experience, and the distribution of sharable content is a process that requires organization-specific research and coordinated execution. While a socially-oriented social media strategy may take time and effort, the establishment of meaningful connections and the cultivation of an active online community is a productive organizational investment in brand development and sustainable growth.

Not sure how your organization’s social media strategy stacks up? Contact Becker Digital to schedule a consultation and discuss how developing a relationship-focused social media strategy can help your organization reach development and outreach goals.