Many of your most valued employees are already using social media, so why not encourage them to share and promote the values of your company on these sites? At the same time, you must help ensure they’re protecting the privacy and integrity of your company. Company policy should apply when your employees are engaged in social media for work purposes and at work, but also during their own personal time.

1.) What Should Be Prohibited?

Employees should be prohibited from engaging in any discussion that pertains to discrimi- nation, sexual harassment and company or client secrets. Employees should avoid partici- pating in any discussion that belittles or ridicules the value of the company’s product or service or any discussion that involves name-calling. Remind employees that any abuse of company policies, both online and offline, may lead to termination.

2.) What Can Be Positively Discussed Online By Employees?

The company should encourage employees to participate in social media. It’s a great medium to promote your service, product, brand and workplace. Companies can use social media to talk to potential customers, while customers can use it to share their experiences. It’s also a useful venue for customers to share experiences. It’s a great place to find the peo- ple who like your company. Consequently, employees must respect the people they’re talk- ing to. They must be knowledgeable and courteous when discussing the company. They must also be transparent by using their real names and stating the name of the company.

3.) What If All My Employees Don’t Understand Social Media?

If you don’t already have a “social media director,” we suggest that you ask a qualified vol- unteer to teach the rest of your staff about social media. Due to generation or seniority gaps, there may be some people who are not as familiar with social media. A class on social media can be a great morale booster for the team.

4.) Should The Social Media Policy Be Pertinent To Every Social Media Channel?

Yes, and it’s a good idea to specify what those channels include and to frequently update the list of approved sites. Currently, the most popular mass-appeal channels include blogs, Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Flickr and Twitter. Your employees and customers are likely using many popular social media applications, which encourage the sharing of conversa- tions, texts, images, slides and videos.

5.) What Are The Initial Steps To Take When Developing A Policy?

The first step: Don’t call it a policy. Call them “guidelines.” The next step is to invite your staff members who are engaged in social media to help you formulate the guidelines.Get their advice and suggestions. Ask them what they want and tell them what you need. Employees adhere better to guidelines they’ve helped develop.

6.) Will The Company Be Monitoring Employees’ Posts And Profiles?

Since there is no privacy in the social media arena, the company should plan to “listen in” on all conversations about the company through the various social media monitoring pro- grams that are available. This is a good business practice that enables the company to par- ticipate in the conversation with customers and potential customers.

7.) How Long Should The Company’s Social Media Guidelines Be?

There is no rule. Some of the best guidelines are the shortest. The most important factor is that everyone understands them and that the guidelines encourage participation and dis- courage any negative actions that would bring harm to the company or its employees.

8.) Should Companies Allow Participation In Social Media For Personal Use At Work?

You’ll have to set your own rules on this one. Some business categories restrict or limit “personal social media.” Some businesses, such as restaurants, may not allow videos taken of the kitchen. The best way to tackle this issue is to meet with your staff and have them help you set the guidelines.

9.) If My Staff Is Participating In Social Media At Work, On Behalf Of My Company, What Should They Be “Talking” About?

It’s important to make sure your staff is engaging in interesting and valuable discussions. Without sounding like a commercial for the company, they may post about product bene- fits in “everyday situations,” special offers, interesting facts, share insights, tips and tricks, as well as share insights, respond to questions and invite suggestions.

10.) Some Of My Staff Members Are “Social Media Gurus.” How Can I Tap Into Their Expertise?

Simply talk to them. The generation utilizing social media has an open perspective on global communications. Brainstorm to explore ways to grow your company using social media. Get customer feedback and build and maintain a community of fans.

By creating social media guidelines, you’ll take an important step in navigating this changing media landscape. You’ll give your employees clear guidance about what kind of online behavior is encouraged and what kind of online behavior is prohibited. And by empowering them with this information, your employees can become online ambassadors for your brand and company.

Now that you’ve read our suggestions, use this template to help create your company’s social media guidelines.

Whether you’re using search engine optimization to improve your Google ranking or directing customers to your Twitter profile, you have to integrate all of your marketing efforts.

How Important Is It To Be Listed On Google’s First Page?

It’s quite the accomplishment to land a spot on the first page of Google search results. All businesses are competing for that coveted top 10.

Most users trust Google’s ability to provide accurate search results and, as a result, spend more time clicking on the sites on the first page of results. Most users don’t visit the subsequent pages of search results.

If your company isn’t on the first page of search results, you have to ask, “How important is it to my company to be listed in the top 10 and how much money is my company losing on a daily basis by not being there?”

All of this leads to the importance of search engine optimization for your Web site. Although SEO plays an integral role in landing a top position, SEO needs other components, such as blogs and articles, to be effective.

The Super Bowl Revisited: Do You Remember Any Of The Ads?

It’s been more than a month since the big game and here’s the million-dollar question: “Do you remember any of the ads?” Maybe you recall the Snickers ad with Betty White. But what about the others?

The Super Bowl advertisers created great brand awareness, but at the same time, they lost a huge opportunity to increase their market share.

It was strange that only a few sponsors mentioned their Web sites and virtually none encouraged viewers to sign up as Facebook fans or Twitter followers or took advantage of lucrative mobile opportunities.

These companies missed out on profit-building opportunities. They could have collected names, e-mail addresses or mobile phone numbers of their fans and followed up with promotional events throughout the year.

Make sure you don’t miss out on similar opportunities. Connect with customers offline and online via e-mail and other platforms.

3. The 60 Second Close: Putting The Package Together

No one marketing element works as effectively as integrating and packaging several of them. Every message that you develop should refer back to a Web site, an e-mail sign-up page, a Facebook page or a Twitter profile. It’s the only way you can stay in touch with your customers on a regular and cost-effective basis.

It’s our responsibility to make sure that your messages resonate on a variety of online channels so you can develop long-term relationships with your customers. It’s part of our “fast forward” strategy.

If you’re ready to shift your gears to “fast forward,” and make sure your messages are integrated, then call us. We can get you there … faster than ever.

As you consider using social media and mobile marketing, you have to evaluate whether these new methods are right for your business and remember that content is the crucial ingredient.

1. For The Umpteenth Time, This Year Will Be The Year Of Mobile Marketing

We’ve been saying this for the past three years, but all evidence points to 2010 being the year that mobile marketing finally takes its rightful place as one of the emerging platforms in building brand awareness and sales.

And why shouldn’t it? More and more people are using their smartphones for texting, receiving and responding to e-mail, watching TV shows, shopping for local businesses and products and getting their news. Many research companies are predicting that mobile phones will overtake PCs as the most popular method for accessing the Internet within three years.

What does this mean for you? A crash course in mobile marketing! But before you jump in, know that mobile marketing – like social media – may not be right for everyone. Mobile marketing programs are great for retailers, restaurants and any industry that wants to drive people to their business or Web site. And your Web site will be the key because it has to be optimized for easy cell phone navigation.

2. Have We Missed The Boat On The True Secret To Successful Marketing?

No marketing plan is going to work without one vital ingredient – content. Your content must be interesting, powerful, useful, informative, newsworthy and targeted to be effective.

Before you decide to do anything, ask yourself: “What interesting and relevant information can I regularly communicate to my audience over the long term?”

3. The 60 Second Close: Our “Fast Forward” Strategy

Two phenomenal things are going to happen this year that could affect your marketing efforts:

• Apple will drop its exclusivity with AT&T, and the iPhone is expected to become available to all wireless carriers. iPhone sales will increase from 15 million to 25 million phones per year, boosting the number of opportunities you have to get in front of people.
• There will be a shakeout and a re-definition of social media as businesses finally grasp the bottom line realities of being part of this medium. Businesses will ask tough questions to determine social media’s worthiness and its contribution to the bottom line.

As an advertising, marketing and communications firm, our top responsibility is to keep our clients thinking “fast forward.” If you’re ready to shift your gears to “fast forward,” call us. We can get you there … faster than ever.

1. Does Your Company Have A Social Media Policy For Employees?

• There’s a good chance your company’s employees are engaged in social media and are publicly expressing thoughts about their working environment. Some might be divulging private business information that could harm your company or its reputation.

• You should be upfront and have a social media policy to protect your company. The policy should state that, due to the openness of social media, you have the right to monitor all online communication and that current company policies extend to all forms of online communication. Violating the policies will lead to immediate termination.

• Although the policy should be restrictive, it should also encourage employees to engage in social media and be brand ambassadors for the company.

2. Get Your Free Social Media Policy Guidelines And Template

• Are you struggling with writing your company’s policy? Contact us and we’ll send you our “Top Ten Guidelines To Writing Your Company’s Social Media Policy” and a template for writing your company’s policy.

3. No Matter What Business You’re In, You’re In The Media Business

• Companies today must understand that regardless of what business category they fall in, they must be in the media business. Companies that understand that will succeed in today’s business world.

• Companies must consider every customer touch point – online and offline – as a media business and develop a message to compete for the attention of their potential customers and convert them into followers. Your offline channels are your employees. They are your worldwide broadcasters. Your online channels are the platforms on which your customers participate. Your customers are also your broadcasters and you want to be involved in their conversations.

4. The 60 Second Close: Your Customers Are In Control

• Most companies that find themselves the victim of an online attack from dissatisfied customers or reeling from employees who make poor decisions online haven’t come to realize that your customers are in control. Your customers have a huge say in the success or failure of your company.