When companies start their social media initiatives often they hear “Content is King”.  For a company that has spent meaningful marketing dollars on promoting their company or brand, their first inclination is to push the same “content”/marketing messages that they have pushed through traditional marketing channels down their new social media channels.  While employees and long standing customers will become fans and follow the company, often times companies do not get the intended results – new business.

There is no doubt that content is king in building your community and keeping them engaged but the content needs to be fresh, relevant and content that the community can trust and use.   This starts with being aware of your audience.  Use social media not only to push data but also to gather data.  Ask the community for input.  Use polls and surveys, people generally like to be asked their opinion and then post the results of the polls and surveys.  Use the results to then create content making sure you utilize the data that you just polled to create relevant content.

Once you have begun the process of creating unique and relevant content to get your community more engaged you also need to get your company more engaged.  Social media is not only about the marketing and PR departments but your whole organization.  Utilize the collective voice of your entire organization to create content.  If you are a car dealer, for example, use the experts in the service department to create content about car maintenance or performance.  If you are a restaurant/ bar ask the bartenders to create content about the best/hottest drinks to cool down with in the summer.   I think you get the picture the point is to utilize the collective wisdom of your company to promote your brand through social media.  The added benefit is that you will likely find when you give your own employees a voice they will promote your brand and products with more enthusiasm and passion.

Social media can open doors to new business, engaged customers and passionate employees if deployed properly.  On the flip side if you try to push traditional messages down social media channels you will likely be disappointed with the results.

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