Why social networks?
Everyone agrees that social networks are the new media and that no one can avoid them, not even companies. They are the new shop window of the company, and their impact is sometimes more powerful than the website itself, which reflects a more corporate and commercial image of the company. Social networks have therefore become the communication medium that best defines the soul of a company. Indeed, the opinions and news shared on social networks give more humanity to the company. All the concrete actions of the company are relayed on these platforms and are considered as proof of its activity. A company cannot do without a presence on these social platforms. But which social network to choose? What precautions should be taken? And how to prioritise them?
The characteristics of social networks and good practices for dealing with them correctly
Each social network operates in a unique way and the target audience differs from one platform to another.
Which professional social networks should be favoured in each company?
A company uses one or more social platforms. This use is often limited to communication teams that broadcast corporate messages, i.e. messages that highlight the company’s actions. However, followers tend to follow individuals and personalities they admire, rather than corporate entities that may lack personality. Whatever the social network, managers should be made aware of the editorial policy of these platforms and the image that the company wishes to project. In this way, they can become active corporate ambassadors on social networks. What’s more, managers have a wider network than the company itself, so why do without?
What are the characteristics of the main social networks?
LinkedIn : Audience composed mostly by professionals – Serious information – Frequency of publication can be limited (no obligation to publish every week) and does not require extreme reactivity. Easy to remove publications.
Facebook : “People” related publications and more personal information – social and human showcase – ageing population that attracts less and less young people.
Instagram : Young and dynamic population – social network that favours the visual posts, in various formats such as video, photo and short interviews – Requires significant graphic resources
Twitter : Professional audience – Social media known as “hot” – Short and sometimes polemical contents on current events – The press feeds a lot on this network – Requires extreme punctuality with recurrent hot reactions and targeted editorial quality.
YouTube : Hosting media for professional and amateur videos – Importance of comments – Highly targeted advertising – Tutorials – Product presentations – Storytelling – Online advisory – The company’s image is largely humanised by authentic and real content.
Determine a clear policy and editorial line for publishing on social networks
Social networks réseaux sociaux are public communication tools. It is essential to consider all their parameters before committing the image of your company and that of your corporate ambassadors on social networks. It is also important to bear in mind that all content published on these platforms becomes public and can create virality, which is often difficult to control.
It is for all these reasons that the company must establish a very clear editorial policy, so as to control the forms and themes of communication, and avoid the risks of uncontrolled virality. Of course, among all existing social networks, some are more controllable than others. Nevertheless, it is advisable to define a policy and an editorial line in line with the company’s intended image strategy.
It is wise to ask yourself the “right” questions before any publication: “Does my company have any interest in addressing such subject, on such social network”? “In what way should the company’s positions be disseminated and what image results are expected? “Which audiences does my company want to target? “Is the corporate ambassador trained and in line with the company’s image objectives?
A readership per social network addressed
All social platforms attract a readership that differs from one social network to another. However, it is still all too common to read uniform corporate publications that are distributed identically across the various social networks. By publishing content in the same format across all social networks, the company assumes that its readers have the same interests and profile. It is not optimal to systematise its corporate publications on all social networks, to the prejudice of the different audiences they have: the themes and forms of publication must be adapted.
For these reasons, drawing up a publication calendar and defining an editorial line for each social platform are communication actions that contribute to a company’s successful performance on social networks. Déterminer la stratégie d’image poursuivie par l’entreprise.
- Déterminer la stratégie d’image poursuivie par l’entreprise
- Develop a list of themes that will carry it best
- Define preferred audience targets
- Estimating and anticipating the risk of misinterpretation
Supervision and support by Skills Communication
Yes, social networks are the new showcases for companies and have become essential to their image strategy. The manager can play a key role in this digital communication, and become a committed corporate ambassador. He can participate in the development of his company on social networks.
To successfully optimise its image strategy stratégie d’image sur les réseaux sociaux on social networks, a company can work with external communication professionals. A seconded DirCom can guide managers, for example, to establish topics of communication specific to their jobs and preferences, while remaining in line with the company’s image strategy.
Skills Communication offers companies the opportunity to integrate into the heart of their project an experienced seconded DirCom, an international specialist who will bring his skills in media, editorial content, social networks, etc.
Through group training, e-learning or individual coaching of managers, Skills Communication helps teams to overcome the usual obstacles, such as lack of time, possible doubts about the use of social networks and their ability to write in the required formats.
Skills Communication can put in place the tools and resources adapted to the strategies contemplated by the companies:
- Guide managers in decoding social networks
- Implementing a digital strategy to optimise the company’s image, by choosing the most suitable platforms
- Promote the company’s brand identity by adapting content to each social network (format/tone/theme/etc.)
- Mastering the publication tools and algorithms of the networks
- Manage e-reputation, and crisis communication
- Understand the best practices in community development
- Build a community around the company’s values
