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Twitter is often called the Social Network for intellectuals, so it's quite likely you will be able to reach important journalists and decision makers there. You can set up your profile in minutes and in terms of customization customisation, adding a logo and a simple background picture resembling your common design should be a no brainer:
- Once you create your corporate profile do take time to customize customise it. It will make all the difference if someone lands on your profile.
- Make sure you state who stands behind the company Twitter profile - name the person(s), so users know who they are talking to.
- Twitter users produce a lot of post so make sure you install the desktop or mobile tools. They will help you navigate through the information noise and manage multiple accounts and hash-tags. There are many solutions though for Windows and iOS desktops - we would suggest Tweetdeck, and for Android "Tweetdeck" or "Twitter" application.
- Don't forget to set automatic notifications for various events - for instance when somebody mentions you or reposts re-posts one of your tweets.
- Since twitting tweeting is so dynamic, make sure you stay connected to emerging trends on Twitter: Twitip.
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LinkedIn could also be called the Facebook for professionals. Especially professionals from technical fields are present and try to "connect" on LinkedIn. In my experience a A vast number of NREN employees is are already present on LinkedIn though the activity rarely exceeds the linking with others. Company A company LinkedIn profile is also good for raising brand awareness.
- When creating a company profile try to search for and "link" to existing companycompanies (your company could be already listed among companies and linked to your employees).
- Add the company "professional" data. Think of the profile as a billboard for job seekers.
- In this case think about incorporating a company news RSS. LinkedIn is not (jetyet) as 'live' as other Social Networks so it could save you some time and the potential damage is not sa as big as using RSS on Facebook or twitter.
- Add information about a few of the most important services you offer and are important to you.
- If you are looking for new employees all the time very often, fill in the Job section.
- Check the LinkedIn official guidelines for additional possibilities you can apply on use in your LinkedIn profile.
Youtube
People rarely browse through custom Youtube channels, though creating one brings credibility and raises brand awareness. In contrary Contrary to the majority of NREN custom solutions, it offers additional customization customisation and subscriptionssubscription opportunities.
- When creating your channel think about the name carefully since it will tend to (or not) pop up at the searches.
- Add the info information about the channel. Careful use of words applies in this case too.
- Creating a customizedcustomised, NREN-branded background and slight channelcustomization customisation is trivialeasy
- Select featured channels and upload several videos so many videos that the channel at least looks fool full if you blindly land on it.
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The Wikipedia page about your NREN is probably already online and it was , created by a Wikipedia enthusiast. In any case you will have to be careful when editing or adding the information since local Wikipedia users look after ther their Wikipedia spaces passionately.
- Check whether your NREN is already on Wikipedia and whether the information about your NREN is up to date.
- If you have to update the information, be aware of strict editorial policy and comply to it.
- If possible, try contacting the "local Wikipedia caretaker" and discuss what you should add or update.
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- Register your company account as soon as possible so you can "reserve" your Brand brand username.
- Keep the username and password somewhere safe if you decide to work further in the future.
- If possible also add a short company description and company logo.
- Wait to see what happens with the application.
- And be aware. With some of them you will need an android or apple-based mobile device.
In my our opinion, Instagram will be the next Social Media application worth spending efforts effort on.
6. Start producing content and engage
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co-workers
Once you are set on the boat underway your work really begins. If you want results it takes your time, effort and constant involvement! Here are some general guidelines that will keep you going in the right direction:
- Understand what you are doing. All Social Media applications have their own rules and you have to understand them to use them effectively.
- Invite your work colleagues and technicians to participate in your Social Media channels. If necessary, provide internal or external Social Media training.
- Make it clear that everyone in the company should be aware of and follow your Social Media guidelines and policy.
- Identify Social Media enthusiasts inside your NREN and actively encourage them.
- Answer the questions as soon as possible to maintain you credibility.
- Always make people feel that their opinion matters.
- And most important: If you have nothing to say, don’t say it!
- Use natural language, so you reduce the distance between you and users.
- Don't try to moderate Social Media. You should rather guide the debate, check out Guidelines on how to react on Social Media posts.
- Don't forget checking the trends all the time. You could be waisting wasting your precious time on Social Media application applications that are "so last year"!
- Show people you appreciate their time. They will reward it.
- Facebook users love photos and stories. Add as many photos as possible.
- Create NREN events of on Facebook and invite people to participate. That's certainly a new channel to reach them.
- Photograph events and post photos from events on your profile. It will bring the traffic to your site all by itself.
- When you launch a new service, use Facebook to share some extras with your users or give them some previews in advance - they will appreciate it. It's also a good way for getting frank feedback.
- Create contests if you would like to activate your users or gain new ones.
- Advertise to friends of your followers. It's very inexpensive and you can target specific users with little effort.
- Monitor what your users like and repeat it multiple times.
- Don't forget to understand , how Facebook works. Information on Facebook is "active" for about 5-7 hours. Use "permalink" optins options for content with intended longer lifetime.
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- Don't forget twitter can use a lot of your time if you get involved! Try to build it in into your every day work-flow workflow but do be conservative!
- Always twitt tweet in #twitter language, otherwise @community will think you #failed. So learn it before twittingtweeting!
- Start following to follow journalists and people of the same interest
- Whenever possible try to twitt tweet breaking news
- Be polite, give credit. If you saw an interesting twitttweet, don'd twitt tweet it as your own. Use Re-twitttweet!
- Observe when people you would like to reach hang out on Twitter. Twitt Tweet your news when they are online.
- Use tools to help you manage the twittstweets. Do you remember the IRC? Twitter is just like IRC but with a fancier interface.
- Reply to twits twees - engage in conversation.
- To promote your twitter @account, event #hashtag or engage users, use twittwals on tweetwalls at events. It will help you display event-related twitts tweets in real time on television or an extra projector.
- Data on twitter is active around 5-15 minutes. Think carefully when you twitttweet.
- If you are in the search of new employees, make sure your job billboard on LinkeIn LinkedIn is up to date.
- Engage in conversations in professional groups to let them know you are here.
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YouTube
- Keep an eye on the comments on movies you published. It's possible you'll have to give additional information or catch a chance to get a new user.
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- Just make sure the information on the Wikipedia is up to date and accurate, "Wikipedia caretakers" will take care for of all the rest.
Google+, Pinterest, Flikr, Instagram, various Blogs, Wikispaces and future Social Media applications
- Keep an eye on all these networks and act accordingly. Make sure you are able to spot emerging applications too.
- If you notice a lot of users has have started using Instagram, plan your future efforts into deploying and using this application in the future.
- Even if you think some Social Media applications are just toys it's quite possible you just don't know how to use them. So explore!
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Deploying and using Social Media is often quite rewarding since it's very easy to measure the impact of your efforts. Each Social Media application usually has it's own insights tool which will show you when and how users react on to your posts. These insights are very useful so make sure you check them frequently and even more important, act on them accordingly.
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- Count the number of your followers, likes and retwittsre-tweets.
- Monitor news dissemination through Social Media. If possible monitor your CMS for different entry points to your news articles.
- Use tools for accessing influence (e. g. klout, peerindex).
Don't forget to let management know you are doing a good job. Show them insights, show them how your news are spreading, how your influence is and influence are spreading. It will be easier for them to grant you new resources if you have something to show. And don't forget to mention: in recession times Social Media takes more of your time and less of organizationyour organisation's money whilst producing very good results when managed in the right way.
8. What's next
Now that your NREN fully utilizes utilises the benefits of Social Media, you can expand your work even forward. You can continue with further Accelerating your NREN social maturity, but if you like to keep your feet on the ground here are a few suggestions:
- Provide your User user support via Social Media (some NRENs already do that). Check out, how you can use a community to even reduce your User user support efforts.
- Make tighter connections with your service leaders and help them make their own Social Media promotions by themselves.
- Contribute your findings to TF-CPR so we can make this jumpstart pack Jumpstart Pack even more usable and keep it up to date.
- If you like to stay up to date, check these Social Media portals for what's new: