BulletProofBlog the blog on crisis communications

The top six social media tips to know before you leave the office.

I have often referred to Facebook as “marketing nirvana” for corporations looking to increase brand equity and navigate through crisis moments.  With more than 300 million users worldwide who spend an average of more than 30 minutes within the network each day, not having a presence on Facebook is tantamount to not having a website or a telephone number.

But just having a presence on Facebook is not enough. Brands today must constantly be thinking of ways to cut through the online clutter and engage their fans in ways that build loyalty and develop online communities of support. The key take away for companies: use your peace time wisely to develop online networks of support now, before your next crisis occurs, and establish networks of loyal brand ambassadors ready to come to your defense should the need arise.

This week’s Six@Six provides insights and tips for enhancing your Facebook presence to build brand equity and bulletproof your reputation:

1. Find people with similar interests: Facebook is a social networking site – meaning you should seek out other groups and individuals likely to care about your brand. Once you identify others interested in similar issues and topics, reach out by becoming a fan of their pages, writing on their walls, and direct messaging them information about your company, brand, organization, or cause.

2. Talk with your fans, not at them: Facebook pages offer great tools to kick-start discussions - but for fans to find value, your messages must be tailored to foster conversation.  Create a Discussion Tab for your page and pose questions to your fans. Assign someone – or better yet, a team of people – to moderate the discussion and respond to questions and comments left by fans. Take time to review comments left on your Wall and address any popular topics or questions. This is also a great way to monitor for criticism and quall a potential crisis before it does reputational damage. If you are hesitant to give customers that much control over your online brand, you can select privacy settings that limit who can post on your wall.

3. Update page with relevant content regularly: Regular, relevant updates to Facebook pages are crucial to holding your fans’ attention. Your audiences are inundated with Facebook updates each day, so the more often you update with interesting information, the more likely people are to see your content in their news feed. Also, don’t make the hard sale on your Facebook page. Focus on contributing to the conversation by responding to fan questions and linking to interesting content not directly related to your brand.

4. Integrate Your Page: It seems simple, but cross-promoting your content ensures the widest dissemination possible. Does your website include a Facebook Fan Page icon? Do your Twitter, blog, and YouTube profiles list your Facebook URL? Facebook offers the code necessary to create a Fan Page widget that allows visitors to these other online venues to see your current Facebook activity and become a Fan as easily as possible.

5. Customize your Page: What is the purpose of your page? Do you want people to review a new product, enter a contest, share an experience, or join a mailing list? While Facebook’s default settings send visitors directly to your wall, you can customize your page to point visitors toward the parts of your Facebook presence you most want them to see. For example, if your primary objective is to promote a contest, set the Contest tab as the default point of entry for your page – thus ensuring maximum exposure.

6. Request Materials: Don’t rely solely on your communications team to generate page content. Call on your fans to submit their photos, videos, blog posts, and experiences. Everyone likes to see their own work published, especially by one of their favorite brands. For instance, outdoor retailer REI not only encourages Facebook visitors to find special deals and visit new locations, it offers a truly interactive experience. Users can submit their own snowboard art designs and share their thoughts on a wide array of topics. Remember, your fans are on Facebook to speak as well as be spoken to.  Giving them what they want is the surest path to social media success.

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