Being transparent in your social media marketing campaign is what it is all about. What does transparency mean? Transparency implies openness, disclosing relevant information to the right people at the right time, and in the right way. In today’s digital lifestyle, and with social media playing an important role on how fast information can travel, it is crucial that leaders embrace business transparency.
The online world is changing the way people communicate with each other due to the rise of all the social media channels such as forums, blogs, review sites, and social networks. Even though these channels are playing a big role for many, how are you going to assess if your business is in fact transparent? There are many people that doesn’t even know what transparency looks like.
How can you become transparent with your social media campaign?
Social media marketing transparency
Listening: What are people currently talking about online regarding your business, brand, products or services? Never jump to the conversation happening only to start promoting because it will fall to deaf ears. When you are engaging with the conversation happening online, your goal should always be to understand what problems your customers, prospects, and the general public currently have and how can you help them. Listening is one part of the strategy and acting is the other part.
Engaging: Start engaging with your listening campaign. Gain the trust of the people you are talking to and always be honest with them. The internet is public and if you are just in for the quick buck or two, someone will find you out. If you are still unsure of how you should start engaging with social media, listen more.
Use your own voice: Never join or start a conversation with your corporate voice. On all the social media channels you are using, sound and act like a real person. While you don’t have to be the CEO of your company to be the social media representative, having senior support on your side will go a long way.
Know your facts: Know exactly what you can’t and can discuss regarding the company you work for. Being transparent doesn’t mean you should tell everyone about your company’s secrets. Be sure you know all the facts and never jump into any conclusions. It is really ok to say when you don’t know something. Be sure that you are following your company’s social media guidelines with your social media marketing campaign.
Manners goes a long way: Never try to beat down participants. Always appreciate the time that they have taking to engage with you on this social medium. Avoid foul language and be polite. In written communications, always use good grammar, and remember that all your communication should reflect your business and brand.
Never try to pick a fight with your competitors online, the pubic or the media. Don’t go ranting on your favorite social media channel because you are not showing any success with your campaign and no one wants to listen to you.
Be responsive: When someone mentions or ask you any questions online, reply and acknowledge these participants. Social media is public and if you are not going to respond when someone asks you a question online, why should they follow you?
Be relevant: Be relevant with your social media campaign. Not everyone wants to know what you are doing in the kitchen right now. Not everyone wants to know what you are doing right at this moment. Relevancy is key with social media marketing.
People trust real people
With social media marketing, people trust other people who are respectful, listens and are responsive. While it is human to post a few facts here and there to build trust with your network, remember that more people are listening to the online conversation than the few (your target marketing) with whom you are engaging. Every person you interact with on the social web doesn’t need to know what is going on in your personal life. Everything is public online and what you say now can come back to haunt you later on. Transparency is playing a key role with social media and digital marketing.
Hi Anton.
I have up until now relied largely on SEO and blog commenting to deliver traffic to my blog. I have only just started to get serious about social and it’s already having an effect. I don’t think I will be rushing to do too much in one go. I like to do what’s managable and do it well. Early days but very positive signs so far.
Thank’s for sharing some valuable and for me, very well timed information.
Thank you very much Steve. Most of the time your approach – starting small works the best with any digital marketing method.
Social networking has obviously gained an importance in blogging as it drives lot of visitors to a site and the right way to proceed with it can bring more success.