November, 2018 - Social Media 101
THE THEORY OF BUSINESS EVOLUTION: ADAPT OR DIE

THE THEORY OF BUSINESS EVOLUTION: ADAPT OR DIE

Despite varying opinions regarding the origins of our species, there are certain inalienable truths that dominate our existence. Certain human attributes contribute greatly to the way people make choices, as well as interact with each other and their environment. Our entire survival is based on these core rules. Businesses, since they operate within a (human) consumer-driven ecosystem are also governed by these “laws of nature”. One of the most fundamental of these “laws” is that for any entity to survive, it has to be well suited to its surroundings. And should this habitat or environment change, continued survival is dependent on the ability to adapt in line with these changes. In the wild, it’s adapt or die. In business, it’s no different. Read the article below to find out why. 

“When you don’t innovate, you die. When you don’t change, you die.”- Gary Vaynerchuk

 

The Theory of Evolution – Human | Nature

Consider this: why is it that in the current age of mind-blowing technological advancement and unmatched levels of human intelligence, it is an undeniable fact that “sex sells”? I mean, we consider ourselves highly evolved, intellectual beings, right? So why do we remain under the power of such base instincts and primal forces? It’s because certain genetic traits still dominate human behaviour. Since the origin of the human species, there have been inherent characteristics that have been carried forward. These include innate survival instinct, a competitive nature, an impetus to grow and a constant drive to improve our surroundings and quality of life. When it comes to both ourselves and our environment, humans have always looked for ways to innovate (hey, we invented the wheel AND sliced bread). We have also consistently been attracted to those that make our lives better or more enjoyable in some way. Throughout time, chosen leaders were those that knew how to best thrive in a given environment and had the most to offer his (or her) followers.

Despite centuries of evolution, these basics have remained the same. Survival and success still come down to excelling in a certain setting. People are still loyal to those who offer them security, peace of mind and the best benefits. And not being able to adapt to a changing environment still means certain death.

“We all grow. We’re made to grow. You either evolve or you disappear.” – Tupac Shakur

 

Adapt or Die – A Guide To Business Survival 

Ok so this would all be very nice if we were studying human biology and psychology, but what does it have to do with business? Well, businesses are not exempt from these fundamentals of nature. For a business to succeed, it also has to adapt to changing environments and consumer demands. Failure to do so leads to poor performance and, ultimately, the death of a business. One key area where businesses fall short relates to digital transformation. Statistics, studies and even companies’ own research show that consumers are increasingly moving towards digital and social media channels. Yet many organisations have still not adapted their business model in line with this change. They still use predominantly traditional methods and are reluctant to invest in social and digital media. This is impeding their ability to thrive and compete in a tough consumer landscape. These are some of the reasons why:

  • Natural Selection: Consumers will naturally choose the brands that best meet their needs and desires. Customer experience is becoming the key factor impacting purchase decisions. Consumers want the convenience, interactivity, personalisation and responsiveness offered by social media. Not giving clients what they want is likely to eliminate you as a natural choice from a consumer point of view.
  • Evolution: Life and business are all about innovation and progress. Social and digital media not only offer the opportunity and tools to move your business forward, they also provide valuable benefits. These include more cost-effective options, better success rates and higher return on investments. And it’s not just about marketing and advertising. Using digital methods can help with the evolution of your business as a whole, assisting with both growth and longevity.
  • Survival of the fittest: When it comes to business, it’s a dog eat dog world. The market environment is highly competitive, and therefore only the best will survive. You may not be on social media, but your competitors sure are. This means that they have a huge advantage in terms of visibility, reach and customer satisfaction, amongst other things. If you want to be an alpha wolf within your industry, you not only have to be on social and digital media, but also make sure that your presence is superior to that of your competitors.
  • Extinction: Businesses that have not yet embraced this brave new world of digitisation and social media could face possible extinction. Besides the risk of being annihilated by your competitors, you will simply get left behind. You don’t need to suddenly mutate your business into some high-tech monster, you just have to make simple changes to your processes and tasks. For example, adopt a multi-point strategy that includes social and digital media, adapting your existing operations in line with market trends and so forth.

“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that  survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change.” – Charles Darwin

Not the end…

… but the start of a new era.

Business and nature share certain fundamental characteristics that relate to success, growth and survival. One of the most crucial survival mechanisms is the ability to adapt to changing environments. The current business environment is highly consumer-driven, competitive and increasingly digitised. For businesses to succeed they need to evolve their processes to be in line with the current landscape at any given time. Failure to do so is likely to result to the eventual death of a business. And that, unfortunately, is just the nature of the beast we call business.

Need an ally to help you take on the challenging business landscape? Contact Social Media 101 – we dive into the shark tank and surface triumphant. Why? Because when it comes to social and digital media, we are the leaders of the pack.

 

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Business Marketing: Social Media Influencers

Business Marketing: Social Media Influencers

Social media influencers, as the term implies, are entities that have some sort of influence or persuasive power on online audiences. This is achieved through amplifying content via various social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn. Accounts with large followings are paid to promote brands via their posts on these platforms.

While the concept of brand ambassadors or endorsers is not new, what makes social media amplifiers different is that you don’t have to be rich or famous to become one – you just need to have a substantial audience base. However, a big account is not all it takes. Here’s a short crash course on the world of social media amplification.

 

What is Social Media Influence?

Social Media influence or amplification takes place when content is shared online within (and across) social media platforms. This includes both paid and unpaid (organic) sharing by stakeholders like your employees, your customers and your online audience. It also includes sharing by influencers such celebrities who may not even use your product or service but are paid to promote your brand online.

 

Types of Social Media Influence or Amplification

There are many categories and sub-categories of influencers online, but we will look at the three main types of amplification, namely: Social Media Influencers, Employee Amplification and Customer Amplification.

  • Social Media Influencers: The most well-known type of social media influence is endorsement by celebrities or people who are in the public eye. These include actors, musicians, sports stars, politicians, prominent business people, well-known thought leaders and other public personalities. Notable celebrity influencers include former First Lady Michelle Obama and pop sensation Selena Gomez. But, unlike most traditional brand endorsement, fame alone is not enough to make you a social media influencer. Celebrity or not, you still need a large online audience to your name. Conversely, if you are not well-known but you have a substantial online following, you can earn yourself “celebrity” status on social media purely due to your audience size. Some social media users are even “anonymous” yet get paid to endorse products or services. How is this so? Because it’s all about leveraging off the existing relationship between the influencer and their (sizeable) audience.
  • Micro-influencers are another type of social media advocacy. These are accounts that may not be huge but have a significant following within a certain industry or niche market. For instance, consider a food blogger that has an audience of a few thousand people. While this may not seem much in comparison to the major players, such a person has the potential to make a tangible impact within a given market. For example, by posting about the quality of food and service at a specific restaurant.
  • Employee Amplification: Employee Amplification (also known as Employee Advocacy) is a powerful yet somewhat untapped form of social media influence. It refers to harnessing the endorsement value and online presence of key employees. It starts with positioning your expert staff members as thought-leaders and trusted advisors within their field. The employees then act as passionate and knowledgeable brand ambassadors through their posts on their personal accounts, positioning the business in a positive light.  Not only does this boost desired public sentiment for the brand and the employee, but it also promotes extensive organic (free) audience reach through the employee’s personal audience as users are more likely to share content received via their own network than a business page. In fact, statistics show that company-based messaging reach is 561% higher when shared by employees as opposed to the business itself! (www.falcon.io). Click to read more on Employee Amplification.
  • Customer Amplification: We all know the importance of customer service, but the growth of social media has now exponentially increased the impact it can have on businesses. Your customers also have the potential to be brand ambassadors and influencers when it comes to your products and services. Brands can make the most of this opportunity by ensuring that positive customer experience is at the core of all business activities. Excellent business offerings, engaging social media content and responsive client-centric service is likely to result in your brand receiving glowing recommendations online. Think about personal experiences – if a business impresses with its quality of service or products, the user is more likely to talk about the experience with friends and family. The same applies to their online community. Only when it comes to social media, its word-of-mouth marketing on steroids. Not only is it great for promoting positive brand affinity, it also acts as free advertising through authentic client endorsement.

 

Implementing an amplification strategy

Navigating the social media influencer landscape can be tricky. Here are some points to keep in mind for a successful campaign:

  • Customer Experience: Creating great customer experience at all touchpoints (through advertising, in-store and especially social media activities) can promote loyalty and affinity for the brand. This then drives customer endorsement online. Social media posts should be highly customer-centric and hold some sort of value for the user, such as informative, intriguing, attractive and high-quality content. This promotes customer engagement and sharing of the content – resulting in increased organic reach. Content should also be optimised for each platform as well as for mobile viewing to increase engagement and share potential. Responsiveness and personable communication are crucial elements of good customer service as well.
  • Incentives: While both Employee Amplification and Customer Amplification are driven by the users’ loyalty and passion for the brand, a little incentive doesn’t hurt. Employees can be incentivised (financially or otherwise) to publish posts about the business on their personal networks. Customers can also be encouraged to engage and share through polls, giveaways and rewards (such as accessing online resources).
  • Type of Influencer: Choose the type of influencer based on their strengths and how well it meets your objectives. For example, social media advocates like celebrities have extensive reach as well as influence over their audience. Micro-influencers can be highly valuable due to their niche (and usually highly-engaged) audience. Employee advocacy is an excellent way to position the brand and its employees as industry thought-leaders. And your customers can act as (unpaid) brand ambassadors that promote your business through their genuine love for the products and service you offer.
  • Influencer Vetting & Content: When using the services of an influencer, you need to partner with people that are credible and genuinely resonate with your brand. You also need to do thorough due diligence to ensure that their audience consists of real, engaging human beings (as opposed to a bought audiences or bots). You are, after all, paying them based on the number of people a post from them is estimated to reach. Also, it’s not as simple as just telling the influencer the product or service to pitch – you need to craft the actual post content in terms of your objective or, at the least, review and approve content prior to publishing. The digital community is a discerning bunch, so make sure your content has a level of authenticity. It’s also imperative that the influencer does not post messaging from competitors or publish contradictory posts (for example, tweeting about how amazing your restaurant’s steak is, and then the very next day mentioning her vegan lifestyle).
  • Training: Brands can send their employees on courses such as Personal Branding and Employee Amplification training to aid in positioning staff and executives as thought-leaders. Business decision-makers can also be equipped with knowledge regarding online risk mitigation and understanding social media data metrics – both of which are valuable when it comes to social media amplification. Beyond training, there are software systems that can be implemented to assist employees with resources, such as pre-approved content, from the company they work for. This improves efficacy of the content and cuts down on time taken to create content.

While there are pros and cons to social media influencers, the one thing that’s undeniable is the sheer impact it has on the business and consumer landscapes. And whether you “like” it or “unlike” it, it is certainly here to stay ?.

Social Media 101 assists businesses in driving online influence, whether that be improving customer sentiment or sourcing, vetting and managing macro and micro influencers. We also offer training for: employee amplification, creating content and implementing software tools for an employee advocacy programme. Get in touch if your business needs influence and amplification.

The pharmaceutical sector, in its pursuit to connect with broader audiences, has increasingly embraced digital marketing, especially social media platforms. However, this digital shift doesn’t come without challenges. The world of social media, with its real-time interactions and viral trends, brings with it a plethora of potential risks for pharma brands. Let’s delve into these risks and provide actionable strategies for effective risk mitigation.

Potential Risks In Pharma Social media Marketing

 

  • Adverse Events Reporting: One of the most significant concerns for pharma companies on social media is the potential reporting or discussion of adverse events related to their products. These can range from mild side effects to severe medical reactions.
  • Misinformation and Misinterpretation: The real-time nature of social media means information – or misinformation – can spread rapidly. Misinterpreted data, incorrect usage details, or misguided advice can have serious implications.
  • Regulatory Compliance: Pharma brands operate under stringent regulations. Ensuring that every piece of content, interaction, or campaign aligns with regulatory guidelines is crucial.
  • Brand Reputation: Negative feedback, public complaints, or controversies can escalate quickly on social platforms, potentially tarnishing a brand’s image.

Actionable Strategies For Risk Mitigation

 

  • Comprehensive Social Media Policy: Establish a robust social media policy that all employees are familiar with. This policy should define permissible content, response protocols, and escalation procedures for issues like adverse event reporting.
  • Active Community Management: Maintain an active presence on your social media profiles. Quick, appropriate responses to comments or messages can prevent misunderstandings from escalating.
  • Regular Training: Regularly train your social media and customer support teams on the latest regulations, brand guidelines, and adverse event reporting procedures.
  • Monitoring Tools: Implement social listening tools that alert you whenever your brand or products are mentioned. This enables you to respond swiftly to potential issues.
  • Clear Communication Channels: Ensure there’s a clear line of communication between your social media team and medical or regulatory experts within the company.

Community Management Best Practices

 

  • Pre-approved Content Library: Maintain a library of pre-approved responses for common queries, comments, or situations. This ensures that your team provides accurate and compliant information consistently.
  • Rapid Escalation Protocols: In case of an adverse event report or a serious complaint, have a defined protocol for rapidly escalating the issue to the relevant department.
  • Periodic Review: Conduct regular reviews of your social media interactions to identify potential areas of improvement or recurrent issues.
  • Engage, Don’t Ignore: Engaging with comments, whether positive or negative, demonstrates that your brand values feedback and is committed to patient safety and satisfaction.
  • Patient Privacy: Always prioritize patient privacy. Move detailed discussions, especially those involving personal health details, to private channels like direct messages.
In conclusion, while social media offers a valuable platform for pharma brands to connect with their audience, it’s essential to approach it with caution and preparedness. By understanding potential risks and implementing a comprehensive risk mitigation strategy, pharma brands can confidently and safely navigate the digital realm.

If you’re keen to elevate your social media presence while ensuring robust risk mitigation, our experts at Social Media 101 are here to guide you every step of the way. Get in touch today for tailored solutions and strategies that align with your brand’s vision.

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WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN CHOOSING A SOCIAL MEDIA AGENCY

WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN CHOOSING A SOCIAL MEDIA AGENCY

Hiring a social media agency remains unchartered territory for many businesses. What factors are important when it comes to finding the right partnership for your business? What separates a good agency from a great one? How do you know what to look for when choosing a social media agency? We have put together a collection of key aspects to consider when selecting your social media agency. Read on for insight and advice to help guide this critical business decision:

 

References, recommendations & research

An excellent starting point is checking out an agency’s references. Who are their clients? What services did they provide these clients? Do they have case studies and testimonials? If so, take a look at these case studies and past services, including campaigns (where relevant). This will provide you with insight on whether the agency would be a good fit for your business based on your priority needs. It’s also a great idea to ask your own professional network for recommendations. People often only refer you to a business that they have had a good experience with themselves.

A bit of research on your part is also required. View the agency’s own social media platforms. Ok, so sometimes a business may neglect its own needs somewhat (I’m sure you’ve heard the term “the shoemakers kids go barefoot”). But you should be able to see the type of social media content they put out, the frequency of posts and if content is value-rich (not just salesy). You will also get a feel for the quality of the material they produce in terms of both visual appeal and engagement potential.

 

Means, motives & opportunities

Ensure that the selected agency has the means and resources to fulfill your business’s requirements. Do they have the internal resources, tools and systems to successfully manage your brand, along with their other clients? When enquiring about their capacity and capability, take into account future needs such as upscaling based on changing business demands. In addition to volume and expansion, well prepared agencies can cater to most, if not all, creative requests. For instance, supporting your entire digital presence and activities e.g. website optimisation, dynamic content, videography, animation etc.

Analyse their business model to find out what motivates their actions. While all agencies exist to make a profit, do they also take a client-first approach? For example, being agile; responsive and adaptable instead of having a rigid service structure.  Customer-centric agencies are flexible in matters such providing personalised solutions, being available outside of normal business hours and adjusting in accordance to varying client and market needs. An efficient agency will also continually look for opportunities to boost your brand. Not just when it comes to marketing, but also factors like business growth, increased market share and so forth. This type of above-and-beyond attitude creates a mutually beneficial relationship between your company and the agency.

 

Expertise, execution & ethics

Social media management is not simply about posting pretty pictures and nice words. It requires practical experience, industry knowledge and in-depth expertise. To be a potential candidate, an agency should have a team of experts, each a specialist in their field AND in social media. This includes graphic designers, copywriters and strategists skilled at creating content for social media. It also extends to the execution of social media activities and campaigns. The implementation of solutions should be done in a highly strategic way, taking into account social media best practices as well as your business and its clients. Skillful agencies understand the various elements such as timing, frequency, algorithms, audiences, design and specific nuances per platform.

The social media landscape can be a minefield if not managed correctly. Partnering with an agency with questionable ethics not only poses a financial risk, but a legal one as well. Not to mention the possibility of serious brand damage at the hands of an ill-equipped agency. This applies to the service they provide to you, as well as how they represent your brand on the public platforms. Consider their level of legal compliance, industry knowledge, business acumen and customer service quality. How to they respond to a negative comment or complaint? Do they have a crisis management plan? Are they knowledgeable about the various social media legal requirements?

 

ROI, results & reporting

Effective social media management should be result-driven and based on your business objectives. Before committing to an agency, find out what their internal KPIs are. Ask them how they measure the success of activities for their clients. Do they analyse and understand the metrics that matter? (Click to read more about social media metrics). In order for you to track the performance of your social media presence, you need an agency that is able to produce reports showing the relevant data sets. This will determine your return on investment, as well as promote informed business decision-making.

At Social Media 101, our aim is not just to meet expectations, but to exceed them. Consistently and continually. We would love to get to know each other better over a cup of coffee.

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ONLINE VISIBILITY: WHY YOUR BUSINESS WEBSITE IS JUST NOT ENOUGH

ONLINE VISIBILITY: WHY YOUR BUSINESS WEBSITE IS JUST NOT ENOUGH

Firstly, to clarify, a website is important for every organisation, across all business types and industries. But in isolation, a business website is just not enough when it comes to online visibility for brands. Furthermore, a website alone is not able to drive business objectives. Changing consumer behaviour and evolving markets dictate that businesses need a multi-point strategy to succeed in the current landscape. In this article, we explain why a website should not be your only online platform. Instead, we propose an integrated approach, with social media forming a central part of your digital strategy.

 

WHY A WEBSITE ALONE IS NO LONGER ENOUGH

In a highly competitive environment, the brands that win are those that best meet customer needs and wants. As these change, so should business activities. Recent developments such as millennials entering the market and increased digitisation resulted in a changed consumer base. Characteristics of this evolved market include a change in:

  • Customer demands: Customers expect brands to be client-focused. These demands include convenience, responsiveness, personalisation, user-value and relevance. Customer experience is based on how well these needs are met.
  • Purchasing behaviour: Purchasing decisions are increasingly being based on the above-mentioned customer-centric values. As a result, improving customer experience has become a primary business objective globally.
  • Digitisation: Increasing use of digitisation by both businesses and consumers have changed the commercial landscape. This includes the rising use of e-commerce, mobile, social media and other technologies.
  • Business Trends: Trends indicate a growth in the customer experience approach, and a decrease in disruptive marketing tactics (such as unsolicited calls and untargeted messaging).

Based on the above, it is evident that a business website alone simply does not satisfy present customer needs or brand objectives. Fortunately, you can overcome these shortfalls by incorporating social media into your business strategy.

 

SOCIAL MEDIA AS PART OF YOUR DIGITAL STRATEGY

In terms of customer satisfaction, market trends, business objectives and overall brand growth, social media offers a wealth of benefits over a website alone.  Such customer experience and business benefits provided by social media include:

  • Business Visibility & Exposure: Your website being seen depends on users finding it themselves. This means they either have to explicitly search for it, or it needs to show up on search engine results. Even with SEO optimisation, the search phrase used has to match the wording on your website. This means only a small percentage of users will come across your website. And what’s the point of having an awesome website if no one sees it? However, you can use social media to drive traffic to your website. You can even customise posts so each one links to a specified landing page to showcase different elements e.g. a list of your services or your contact page.
  • Outbound & Inbound Customer Targeting: Again, as a website relies on inbound traffic, only people actively searching for your brand or product will potentially become customers. Social media, on the other hand, allows you to find and target your core demographic. Messaging is placed in front of your selected audience, even if they have never heard of your brand. In addition, social media targeting uses advanced data and algorithms to determine other users that are likely to be interested in your business offering. This promotes customer growth and could even reveal new untapped customer groups.
  • Sales: Social media can be used to drive online sales – both directly via a social platform, as well as by channeling traffic to your website. It can also be used to generate in-store sales through marketing and advertising messages. Studies show that a multiple-touchpoint approach is effective in driving sales, and social media is an integral part of the client journey. It also supports the non-linear way in which content is consumed – its about speaking to the right person at the right time with the right message. Ads on social media play a huge part in influencing purchasing decisions. In fact, statistics show that 90% of shoppers use social media to research products and services as part of purchase decision-making (Sprout.com). In terms of a basic marketing rule of thumb, 6-8 touchpoints are required to convert a sale. Social media speeds up this process, and as a result, can shorten the entire sales cycle for businesses.
  • Client-focused approach: Social media is customer-centric by nature, and able to achieve customer experience goals. For example, by communicating directly with clients when it comes to customer service tasks, or publishing value-rich content such as articles or tips. This enhances customer satisfaction and leads to an increase in both sales and client retention.
  • Location & Convenience: Social media is where your customers are – and therefore where you should be. It is where consumers research brands, consume content and even make purchases. Customers also prefer to interact with businesses via social media when it comes to queries and customer service requirements. Consumer preference of using mobile devices for online activity makes social media a convenient option as it is highly optimised for mobile.
  • Relevant content: Unlike website content which is quite generalised, social media allows you to send targeted information to relevant market segments. For example, marketing your men’s range to men, and women’s range to women. Post links can be used to direct users to the related section of your website instead of them having to navigate. When needed, social media content can be adjusted with ease to ensure constant relevancy. Making changes to website content is a less viable process.

To summarise, a static website alone does little to aid in marketing, customer satisfaction or business goals. On its own, it is just not enough for online visibility. However, by integrating it with social media activities, you can develop a strategy that meets both client demands and brand objectives. Social media also provides data and insight into customer behaviour, promoting informed business decision-making. The convenience, responsiveness and value-rich approach of social media position the business as being client-centric. And as customer behaviour indicates, a positive image boosts brand affinity and, ultimately, sales. Coupled with its advanced marketing and business functionality, social media is vital for brand visibility and growth.

Ready to take your digital strategy to the next level?

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