Here is our interview:
Tell us a
little about yourself and your role at your organization. My official title is Social Media Manager. I currently
oversee all social strategy for our brand and many of our business units who
are integrating digital communications.
Why is
digital marketing and social media vital to your organization’s business goals? Health Insurance is currently going through tremendous
change and the landscape can be very confusing. By providing answers to
questions people have we not only continue to build brand loyalty with our
members, but we also build trust with potential members. By being proactive on
social media we position ourselves as a trusted leader in our industry and one
that is recognized as a valuable resource of helpful information.
What are
the keys to a successful social media or digital marketing strategy? The secret sauce to a successful social media strategy
is a four letter word – HELP. All businesses and organizations should aim to
help their audience with their social media efforts. People remember who helped
them. They talk about who helped them. Ultimately, they share with other people
businesses who help. If your intent is to help your audience you will win in
the social media landscape because you will find that you have earned their trust
and permission to market to them. I would also suggest that wherever possible
integrate social with your current marketing efforts be it traditional or
digital.
What
digital or social media metrics should businesses measure to determine the success
of their efforts? Social media data has three
layers. The first layer is all the likes, share, comments, etc. These are
all well and good, but alone they don’t provide real context. You have to
dive into the second layer which is behavior. This is where the real meat is.
When did that blog post get shared? Who shared it? What time of day was it?
What is their demographic? Where do they live? What can we learn from this that
we can use in our future social efforts? You can see how deep this layer can get,
and how you’ll have to roll up your sleeves to find the answers you seek.
However, I can tell you that if you do this legwork it pays off, and when you
get to the point where you can share your data findings with other
marketing/communication departments in your organization, you begin to define
data commonalities that can save your company money and time. This is ROI
leadership recognizes and appreciates.
In your
opinion, what is the biggest blunder you see businesses make when getting
started with social media and digital campaigns?
That many businesses initially attempt to market directly through their social
media efforts. The reality is that no one cares about you, but they do care if
you can help them. So, instead of listening and attempting to communicate with
their customers, they assume the type of content people want. This is a big
turn off, and you immediately lose trust with the audience you were hoping to
rally to your cause or product.
How would
you advise a business with limited time and resources in creating a more
successful online presence? It starts with story
and content. Don’t worry about what channel you should be on. Work on creating
strong content people want and place that content on a web property you own.
Get that right and then start thinking about where and how that content should
be shared.
How did
you get started in your field? By accident. Ten
years ago my boss at the time asked that I put a press release together for our
website. While writing it I intuitively felt that a press release wasn’t the
only way we could communicate about our company and what we do. I jumped on the
internet and began searching for different ways companies should be
communicating. I eventually came across The Gobbledygook Manifesto by David
Meerman Scott. Immediately a lightbulb went on and I while I didn’t know
exactly what social media was at the time, I did know that it is what I wanted
to do for living. For the next six months I listened to what others were doing,
attended the very first Blog World conference, and basically taught myself how
to do social media for another company. My big break came when I became the
community manager for T. Boone Pickens’ PickensPlan. The rest they say is
history.
What
advice do you have for people looking to enter the profession? The social media party is over and brands are looking
for professionals who can deliver business results. If you are a student, this
isn’t necessarily experience one can obtain right out of school. And if you are
looking to transition into social media as a profession, this can be a steep
learning curve. My advice would be to find a nonprofit whose mission is
something you are already passionate about, and volunteer to put their social
media program together. This doesn’t have to be a nonprofit. You could do this
for a local business you frequent, or an organization a family member belongs
to like an afterschool program. Maybe you belong to a club or organization that
could use some help with their social media? Regardless who you do it for, this
shows initiative and dedication which most employers find attractive regardless
of the job requirements. Having strong writing skills helps, but I would also
recommend brushing up on your creativeness. The social web is a visual world
and having an eye for design will pay dividends.
If you'd like to learn more social media insights from David Murray, be sure to RSVP for his presentation on Friday, April 17 when he'll share his story about transforming BCBSM into a successful social brand.
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