For B2C Marketing Professionals
October 24, 2018
Real-Time Processes For Real-Time Social Marketing Processes: The Social Marketing Playbook
Set Up Protocols To Serve Campaign Activities That Require Hyperquick Turnarounds Similar to always-on, specific campaign activities exist that demand faster response times. To achieve even greater speed-to-market, implement additional protocols for these efforts: ›› Live events that offer real-time content opportunities. Insert a dedicated staffer onsite to feed content in real time. Position another resource in front of the social controls to monitor for content creation opportunities and user-generated content reposting in real time. One social media agency places its staff onsite at a client’s industry events in order to feed content to brand managers on standby. These brand managers provide quick approvals and post event content without significant lag. ›› Promotions, contests, and sweepstakes that engage consumers for a set time. These popular social marketing activities offer greater engagement but also unpredictability. Map as many social scenarios as possible and hold dress rehearsals to practice each outcome, ensuring that all team members are prepared to act. The Voice, a singing competition television show, partners with Twitter to create 5 minutes of real-time audience voting during which viewers can “instant save” a singer from leaving the show.19 To pull this off, the show activates Twitter staff to track tweet votes and anticipates contestant name misspellings by writing a list of spelling permutations in advance.20
Processes Must Be In Lockstep And Serve The Broader Organization Operating always-on and campaign processes independently leads to confused consumers when voice and messaging are inconsistent and lost opportunities when teams do not share insights. Imagine if our fictional sneaker company, Kicks, learned on social media that customers universally detested its newest sneaker, yet it pushed forward with a splashy ad campaign for said sneaker. Kicks would appear tone-deaf. The two processes must work closely with one another as well as integrate into the broader organization; ultimately, they should: ›› Integrate with each other. Insights from the measure phase cross-pollinate with the opposing plan phase (see Figure 4). For example, multiple customer inquiries from your always-on process might indicate customer confusion about your product, leading you to plan a How-To social video series in your campaign process. Additionally, the always-on monitor phase might alert you to an industry crisis, pushing you to delay your upcoming planned campaign. To sync your two processes, establish frequent communication with weekly status meetings, and give advance warning for rush jobs or anticipated busy times. Allianz built trust by having upfront conversations with its stakeholders and prepared them for expected work. “Don’t ask forgiveness later; ask permission early,” recommends Kary Delaria, social media manager. ›› Integrate with ancillary teams. Always-on processes intertwine with the customer service center, and campaign processes mesh with media and PR teams. Legal and compliance also interact with both modes. Educate stakeholders on how your processes dictate workflows
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