Social Media Strategy

The New Age Communication Channel

The evolution of communication in an era dominated by the internet has revolutionised the traditional methods of corporate communication. Today, social media strategy stands tall as a premier component of strategic communication that effectively helps in sending critical messages to the target audience. Here's how to understand the significance of this trend and how to leverage it for maximum outcomes.

According to a report by Statista, as of 2021, an estimated 3.6 billion people were using social media worldwide Statista. This clearly highlights the role of social media as a powerful tool that enables businesses to tap into a vast audience base thereby creating a stronghold for marketing communication strategy.

• Reaching a Wider Audience: Perhaps the most significant advantage of a social media strategy is its ability to reach millions of people simultaneously. With strategic messaging on popular platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, and Instagram, businesses can create engaging content and reach out to potential consumers across the globe.

• Brand Awareness: Leveraging social media helps to enhance brand visibility and allows businesses to showcase their products and services to a wider audience, making it an integral part of a brand communication strategy.

• Customer Engagement: By creating engaging content on various platforms, businesses have the potential to evoke responses from their target audience thereby establishing a two-way communication channel leading to the success of a global communication strategy.

• Measure Success: Social media platforms offer comprehensive analysis tools that aid in tracking the success of every post and campaign helping in refining the digital communication strategy.

Renowned author and social media marketer, Jeff Bullas said, "Social media is a wonderful and valuable tool for marketing. It's like a non-stop, 24/7 global networking event, where you can build relationships and grow your audience."Jeff Bullas.

In conclusion, with the advancement in technology, social media has emerged as a powerful tool in strategic communication offering unique advantages. Understanding and leveraging its full potential to communicate, connect, and convert can vastly accelerate the achievement of business objectives. Therefore, organizations must emphasize on the importance of social media in their communication strategy development to stay ahead in this fast-paced digital world.

References:

1. Statista. (2022). Number of social media users worldwide from 2017 to 2025 (in billions). Retrieved from www.statista.com

2. Bullas, J. (2020). The power of social media marketing in business. Retrieved from www.jeffbullas.com

What You Say Can Be Held Against You: How Social Media Can Leave You Jobless

With the start of social media over a decade ago, the world as we know it has been turned upside down.  There is a new batch of employees entering the workforce who have never known life without some form of social media like Snapchat, Facebook, and Twitter. These employees believe that the ability to use social media any way they want is almost a constitutional privilege. I have often heard my interns and new hires say, “What happened to my freedom of speech?” or “You don’t own my thoughts!” Although that may be true, what you say can be held against you. 

I have often told students fresh out of college that they do have the right to say whatever they want; however, they also have the right to face the repercussions from what they say. I recommend that every new graduate or person who is unsure of the effects of posting on social media read the book So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed by Jon Ronson.  In this book, Ronson tells 15 different stories of people who posted a joke on social media that came out badly or made a mistake while at work. It's a good reminder that we are always being watched online and, like in a text message, it is hard to read intent online

Steer Clear of Danger:
Posting grievances: You can be well within your rights as an employee to use social networking sites, emails or other forms of social media to air your grievances. For example, an employee may complain about how they are being treated by their manager at work. 

However, first, ask yourself "What is this post going to accomplish?" Is your goal to get your manager in trouble or have a better relationship with that manager? Either one of these goals would be achieved more efficiently by taking a more direct approach. For example, try reading your employee handbook to see what steps you can take to approach your issue head on. 

Consider Occam's Razor: Sometimes the simplest approach is the most effective. Try talking to your manager and start by saying, “I have gotten the feeling that I have been not handling my work the way you would like it to be done. Is it okay if we talk about how I can change my work style?” This will open a dialog that can clear up any miscommunication and begin a road to a better working relationship. 

Posting outside of work: When drawing a line between work and home life, it can be difficult to know where to that line lies. For example, whether you think it is fair or not, odds are your employer views you as a representative of the company. Although they may not be able to fire you over a post, judgment can be assigned to your character. 
A quick Google search can find over ten pages of posts about people losing their jobs for what they have said online.

One-on-one communication: Social networking can be an excuse for avoiding face-to-face conversations. Many of the issues that lead to disciplinary and grievance problems at work can often be dealt with by a manager having a quiet word with an employee, which can prove to be difficult if line managers have become over-reliant on communicating electronically.