Avoiding social media?

Worried about negative comments about your company? Social media didn't invent dissatisfied customers, but it did give them a microphone. The good news is they don’t have to affect your brand. Find out how to turn social media to your advantage.

Once, all your brand manager had to worry about was getting everyone to agree on the same shade of blue for PowerPoint presentations. And that was hard enough. Now, with the growth of blogs and social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, your brand could be mangled beyond recognition before you have chance to write your next tweet.

Sound like a marketing manager's worst nightmare? It doesn't have to be. In fact, the tools you need to manage your social media outlets are most likely in your corporate communication guidelines already.

The ‘dos and don’ts’ of social media
The strength of social media lies in trustworthy, individual voices; it puts people rather than the company first. That means you have to trust your employees to say the right thing in the right way. A good corporate manual – with positive examples rather than 100+ things not to do – can get everyone off to the right start.

The traditional approach to managing a company or brand identity is through your corporate communication guidelines or brand manual. And while they may sound so last century, these manuals are great for social media, too. They contain guidelines on your company’s brand philosophy, vision, tone of voice and visual identity, and let your employees know:

• Who is the best spokesperson for your company
• What they can say – and how they should say it  
• How to use the company’s brand and visual identity

Find your spokespeople
The most important part of social media guidelines is the ‘who'. While it’s important to control who can speak on behalf of your business, this shouldn’t become a bottleneck in your organization. So if your existing policy limits public discussion to product managers, marketing managers and corporate communications, stick to this – at least in the beginning. You can always expand as you become more comfortable with social media.

Steer the conversation
Your guidelines should list your company’s key messages. This will give everyone an idea of what to say. The point is to start conversations with others in a community, so try not to broadcast headlines or advertise new products. Picture someone asking about your business at a party. You wouldn't want to sound like a commercial – and if you did, you’d soon be standing on your own.

If you're looking for ideas about what to blog about, have a look at Chris Brogan's blog post on 50 Blog Topics Marketers Could Write For Their Companies. He also has some good advice for Twitter.

Keep your brand strong
Some companies avoid social media for fear of attracting negative comments. Social media didn't invent dissatisfied customers, but it did give them a microphone. The good news is they don’t have to affect your brand. Your guidelines should clearly outline how to deal with these episodes.

Jump in
Social media offers real-time feedback and engagement. And unlike traditional media, it isn't centered on marketing campaigns; it’s a 24/7 channel of open communication. This can be frightening, but all it takes is a good plan. So while you're building up experience in one of the marketing world’s most exciting innovations, take comfort in the fact that your old-school guidelines are still your best resource.

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How to get started fast
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