Your Social Media Strategy Sucks

Thom Atkinson, Indiana University CASE Indiana - April 13, 2012 These days, it seems like everyone is talking about social media strategy (and Pinterest, but thats another presentation waiting to happen). So what exactly is a social media strategy? And do you really need one? Before some senior associate vice president appoints a blue-ribbon committee to draft a social media strategy for your institution, get some pointers on what to recommend (and what to avoid) for your school. We don't have all the answers, but we can arm you with the right questions. I. Do You Suck? A. Everyone wants a Social Media Strategy B. Heres the best one: Dont Suck! C. If nobody likes (cares about) you, the best social media imaginable wont magically fix that 1. Recent examples: KFC Thailand earthquake, Kenneth Cole in Egypt, Skittles last bag D. If youre not good at what you do, you wont be good at social media E. Unfortunately, most of your social media success will be a result of other success 1. Athletics championship, Historic achievement, Television appearance, etc. 2. HOWEVER, you need a good strategy to capitalize on this success when it happens! Social Media Strategy < Strategy for Everything (Marketing, Communications, etc.) A. Bottom Line: Every aspect of your social media efforts should be driven by a larger strategy 1. If you dont know what your organizations strategy is, you wont know what to do with social media or how to tell if you are having any kind of success 2. The goal is not to be good at social media. The goal is to be good (i.e., dont suck). Then, communicate that through social media. B. Make social part of everything you do, not tacked on at the end or completely separate 1. Universities are notoriously bad at this because they are slow to change and siloed 2. Understand that, in successful social organizations, employees are empowered to break through silos quickly to establish cross-department communications C. Understand that successful social connections benefit both parties (not just you!) Elements of a Strategy that Doesnt Suck A. Know the Audience 1. Who they are and where they are 2. Desires/Expectations (content, tone, frequency, etc.) 3. Needs (information, timing, etc.) 4. Do your research a. Existing: 1. Noel-Levitz E-Expectations report (http://bit.ly/k0p1oL) 2. Pew Internet & American Life Project (http://pewinternet.org/)

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b. Survey: What information/content would be of most interest to you? c. If you just listen to them, then youll know how to talk to them B. Know the Tool 1. Choose the right tools a. Who is our audience? (from strategy) b. Where are these people already engaged? (from research) c. Which of those channels best allow us to build community? d. Which tools are best for accessing those channels? 2. Be a user before trying to be an administrator 3. Use every available interface (web, third party, mobile) because all are different 4. Do your research a. Less expensive: Hootsuite b. More expensive/powerful: Radian6 c. For example: Did you know Facebook is biased against content published using third-party tools? Those posts suffer 67% fewer likes! http://bit.ly/Hgckmw 5. Dont be a #fail a. Theres no 1 right way to use a tool, but there are plenty of wrong ways C. Know the Culture 1. Be a member before trying to be a leader 2. Learn the lingo & community norms a. Example: Pinterest Etiquette (http://pinterest.com/about/etiquette/) 3. Do your research 4. Dont be a jerk 5. Dont be a faceless automaton D. Know the Rules 1. Understand your institutions policies (not just social media policies, if there are any) 2. Understand federal, state, and local laws (privacy, contests/lottery, etc.) 3. Special audiences require additional considerations (FERPA, athletes, etc.) 4. Understand the Terms & Conditions of third-party tools (Facebook is a minefield) a. Example: Facebook Promotions Guidelines (http://on.fb.me/HOmx7E) E. Know Yourself 1. Know who to contact with questions; get to know them in advance 2. Know who to contact in an emergency; get to know them in advance 3. Know your goals: what content and messaging will help you accomplish those goals? a. Use goals + audience + community to determine content valuable to share 4. Know whats going on at your school; stay informed (wheres content come from?) a. Determine ahead of time what channels are official & trustworthy

b. Use a content calendar to collect & balance messages 1. Creating a Social Media Content Calendar (http://bit.ly/H01qjc) 5. Make sure you have the necessary resources to be successful a. Time = $ b. Be honest! c. Better not to invest at all than to start only to abandon F. Know Whats Important 1. You will receive criticism dont overreact! 2. You will hear complaints dont rush to react! a. Sometimes a lone voice is a crank, sometimes it is a standard-bearer 3. You will hear rumors/lies dont spread misinformation! a. Find out the truth (and then double-check!) 4. You will be insulted have a sense of humor! 5. You will make mistakes take responsibility and learn! 6. Social media is constantly evolving be ready to adapt! IV. Dont Suck! A. Dont be a robot, be a human B. Dont be an institution, be a person C. Dont be a marketer, be a good neighbor (community member) D. You dont need a social media strategy, you need social media to support your strategy

Thom Atkinson Social Media Strategist, Indiana University E-mail: tgatkins@indiana.edu Twitter: @thomathome #thomsucks #CASEIndiana