Social media is quickly becoming the ‘new pr’, with messages communicated directly to consumer and business audiences; it’s the glue that holds the rest of a campaign together. As such, social activities are seldom undertaken alone. The most successful ‘social’ campaigns are integrated – an authentic cross-medium conversation.
So, with this in mind, social campaigns shouldn’t be implemented in a vacuum. What a company’s employees and representatives say online forms a key part of any social campaign. So, the best social media firms will help a client to formulate a communications policy that will be shared with employees from both parties, to clarify what’s happening and get everyone moving in the same direction.
If the social media firm is to interact with audiences on a client firm’s behalf, it’s critical that they speak with the ‘right’ voice. So, many social media agencies will allow their clients an opportunity to interview the employees who will be speaking on their behalf. This prompts confidence in the individuals who will ultimately be speaking about their brand and nurtures a healthy working relationship.
There are many guides to the top questions to ask of social media firms during the selection process (see below) and most are very helpful.
A critical point to remember is that clients must not leave everything to their agencies; agencies tend to respect clients who are savvy. Clients must familiarise themselves with the relevant lingo and ask good and personalized questions when meeting with their shortlisted social agencies, doing their homework before agency calls in order to make a good impression. However, that’s not to say clients must be experts-an authentic interest and basic level of awareness will suffice.
We recommend this website for a detailed list of questions that all savvy clients will be able to answer about their social media firm before any contract is signed.
Clients, how much did you know about social media before selecting a firm? And, agencies, do you agree savvy clients benefit from your best work?
