Your business is ready to develop a Social Media plan. You know you need one. But just how do you come up with a plan and then put that plan into action? Researching the efforts of similar businesses is a good place to start, as is doing a thorough audit of your own company's needs.
Your social media plan is an essential first step if you want your social media program to be successful. But you don't have the time or expertise to develop one. What are some options? Professional help? An intern?
Once the plan is formulated, who will implement it? Options again: professional help or an intern.
We're all cost-conscious today. So some companies opt for the intern. Okay, you won't get the benefits of professional experience and expertise, but it's certainly a cheaper way to go. An intern can post updates on your Facebook and Twitter pages and maybe even write a blog for you. Choose an intern who's enthusiastic about your product or the causes you support and the intern may fit seamlessly into your organization chart. Problem solved.
But, social media programs are not that simple. There's a lot to think about first.
Sure, college kids today have grown up with computers. As “early adopters” of social media, they can bring you a vast knowledge of the workings of social media Web sites. They probably feel way more comfortable with the medium than you do. They've been tweeting, using Facebook and blogging since those sites were launched. They probably even know of some sites you've never heard of.
But a knowledge of the use of social media doesn't necessarily mean a person is ready to be put in charge of your company's marketing message and reputation. Remember, while the intern may know “how” to interact with others on the social media sites, he or she is unlikely to know how to best utilize social media for you and your business. Life experience and business experience are just as important as social media experience.
Should you be thinking about bringing in the pros?
The heart of public relations is communications. A good PR team is experienced at working everyday to cajole positive editorial coverage for clients out of the media. They know how to forge and build relationships that produce results. Social media is just another extension of those kinds of communications, of conversations.
Writing comes naturally to PR pros. Engaging blog postings, Facebook updates and Tweets flow easily.
In addition to writing and communications, good PR professionals think strategically. That really comes in handy when a Facebook status update could be the beginning of a possible PR problem. Would your intern recognize when to address an issue or when to leave it alone? What experiences would your intern draw upon to handle the issue in your absence?
A good PR team will bring life and business experience to the table — plus they'll have made it their business to understand yours. That leads to strategic decisions and appropriate actions when the need for fast thinking arises. PR pros have been handling such challenges since long before the dawn of the Social Media era.
On the surface, an intern might seem like a logical and cost-effective way to maintain your presence on the Social Media landscape, but before you choose that path, ask yourself the big
questions.
Who do you want to represent your company when customers come to call? Would you send an intern out to represent your products to your customers face-to-face?
How would you have your company's spokesperson handle any important customer interaction?
Would you put your brand in the hands of someone who's inexperienced?
Would you rely on the counsel of an intern when making marketing or sales decisions?
Would you ask an intern to resolve an issue that could have important PR implications for your company?
Or would you rather entrust your brand and reputation to a seasoned professional experienced in the real world of PR and marketing?
Social media provides the biggest opportunity your company will have to reach people directly and make an impression.
Is that a job for an intern?
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