Social Media is everywhere (it is, quite literally, what people do on the Internet today) and there is no shortage of tactical advice and examples of “Social Media campaigns” online. But beware: Jumping into Social Media without a well thought out strategy and a real understanding of the space increases your chances of a serious misstep. It can even leave your brand worse off than it was before.

A Social Media Audit can help you create a solid strategy and understand potential risks, opportunities and rewards before you jump in.

What does a Social Media Audit tell you? A good Social Media Audit covers everything from nuts and bolts strategic decisions (goals, target audiences, success metrics, etc.) to the finer points of program execution (legal/policy constraints and internal requirements) — and everything in between. Buzz Monitoring is an important part of the Social Media Audit because it helps provide a deeper understanding of the group(s) you want to engage with and any opportunities or challenges that may lay in wait.

Some of the critical elements addressed in a Social Media Audit are:

Brand/product credibility and position: How credible is your brand/product online? Are people saying nasty things about you that could blow up in your face if you enter the space unaware? In one of our recent Audits, we found that there was a serious misperception (and consequently, some negative buzz) about the features of a particular product. If the client had jumped into Social Media without knowing that this was a problem, the response could have been disastrous.

“Audience” Research: How are your customers or constituents currently engaging in Social Media on the Web? Are they Social Media savvy? Will they be receptive to this type of engagement? Is there a need you could help fill in order to create good will among an existing community? Successful initiatives build on the audience’s interests. What your customers/constituents want and the activities that they are already engaging in (without being prompted) should drive key decisions about where, when and how you engage.

Organizational readiness: How “Social Media ready” is your organization? Are there legal constraints (regulated industries for example) or internal policy issues that impact what you can and cannot do with Social Media? Is the organization willing to cede some control over defining the brand? What is the organization prepared to do in regards to ethics and transparency?

Requirements: What are the likely time requirements and investments? Social Media engagement requires a time committment (not just from the marketing staff), good content and often the creation of new tools and Web properties. Your staff will also need some training (engagement ethics, organizational policy around Social Media, etc.).

Competition: Are your competitors engaged? If so, are there lessons to be learned — successes, failures, something unique you might be able to provide?

True, Social Media requires ceding control, but trust me, taking a willy nilly approach to the space is not where you want (or need) to let go. While you cannot and should not attempt to control the voices of your customers, you can certainly control your own behavior — your approach, the discussions you raise, your response, etc. A Social Media Audit can go a long way towards smoothing your foray into the space.

Filed under: Audits, Social Marketing on Wednesday, April 9th, 2008 by Nan Dawkins |
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