Walking into a ballgame, you are likely to hear someone shouting, “Program! Get your program! Can’t tell the players without a program!” I can’t think of a better analogy for developing a “best practices” social media program: its all about nailing down – in writing – who you need to connect with online, what you are trying to achieve with them, and knowing what to measure so that you will know if you have achieved your goals.

Being able to see beyond the scope of your customer base to understand how your market is influenced is one of the most important advantages of a social media program.

If the company is going to achieve and maintain a brand value using social media, it will need to first understand the company’s stake in the marketplace and the value it offers to its customers. The value proposition is all about the customer. What matters to them and how you can deliver value that differentiates you from your competitors.

Pepsi gets it! Its decision to sit out the Super Bowl, once deemed a “can’t miss” showcase for major advertisers, underscores how social media and the Internet are reshaping marketing by providing companies better ways to convey their messages to customers who might be likely to buy their products.

Many marketers stepping up to embrace social media are bringing their old “push strategy” skills to a new “customer pull” reality, making a critical miscalculation. The social media phenomenon is not just a new set of communications vehicles for your company to broadcast its value proposition and messaging to a target market. It is about customers wanting and needing relevant information to make better decisions and to share with others. Over the years they have become jaded by the packaging and spin that typifies most marketing and advertising campaigns.

More than eight out of 10 North American and European enterprise IT decision makers said word-of-mouth recommendations or testimonials are the most important sources when making buying decisions. Obtaining these recommendations and testimonials becomes easier when B2B social media practices are put into place—turning your customers into brand advocates.

Step one: Before you start, establish clear business objectives and metrics.

What surprises me is how many blogs and podcasts or even Facebook groups and Twitter sites are started as an executive pet project. That may relieve some pressure to demonstrate ROI, but as a marketer responsible for social media initiatives, you should never move off the starting mark without clear and measureable business goals.

For Maples Communications, it is an honor to be called a wingman. We want to “check your six”-the six o’clock position where the jet is most vulnerable, the pilot’s blind spot.

A few days ago, a friend sent me the “Social Media Revolution” link from YouTube knowing that I believe the traditional media model for companies to communicate to customers is broken.    We are in the middle of a revolution.  The tools may change over time, but social media is here to stay.   
You and I both [...]

Many companies are embracing social media as a way to reach stakeholders, create a dialogue, and demonstrate that it understands the worries and needs of its audiences. Now the question arises, are you implementing the right social media tools effectively?