Social media is rapidly altering how businesses engage with customers and prospects
A couple of years ago, I was on vacation staring out at a lake behind my in-law’s home in South Carolina. From time to time, an alligator would come cruising by and this was just such an occasion. He was moving quickly and deliberately towards the shore line on the opposite side of the lake. I grabbed my camera anticipating that I would get a great shot of him coming ashore. As he did, I started snapping pictures, although I couldn’t quite make out what I was capturing from the distance he was at.
Later, I ran into a neighbor who happened to be inside his home and much closer to the alligator than I was. He asked me if I saw the alligator and I acknowledged that I had. Then he said, “I wouldn’t have wanted to be that turtle!”.
I hurried back to my house, flipped open my camera and examined the photos I had taken. What I captured is the photo you see here. A relaxed turtle, baking comfortably in the afternoon sun, with his back to the lake, becoming a nice lunch.
As I think about how quickly the world is changing and how rapidly social media is altering the way businesses engage with their customers and prospects, I can’t help but wonder about how many organizations might look more like the turtle than the alligator.
Here a few things the turtle did wrong and some ideas of how to avoid the same mistakes when it comes to planning your social media strategy:
1. The turtle was too comfortable
The turtle was relaxed and in his zone. He was basking on the shoreline exactly has he had probably done a thousand times before. How often in business do we just stay with what we know?
How to avoid the turtle’s fate:
- Place your bets on the social media platforms where you think you will have the best chance to engage your target audience and move ahead boldly when you have a well considered plan.
- Watch for new social media platforms evolving that might be a good fit for your brand and consider how or if you should engage on those platforms.
2. The turtle wasn’t watching his back
In this picture, the alligator came up from behind. The turtle wasn’t looking in the right direction so he could see danger lurking.
How to avoid the turtle’s fate:
- Leverage social listening tools to track conversations and brand sentiments about your brand and your competitors.
- Be a part of the social conversation when appropriate so small problems don’t become big ones.
3. The turtle was too slow
This turtle, like most, had no chance of outrunning the alligator on open ground.
How to avoid the turtle’s fate:
- If your brand or company has not engaged on social media, it’s time to come out of your shell and begin! Chances are, your competitors are there already.
- Social media provides you with enormous potential to participate in real time conversations, but you have to be ready to move quickly. Make sure someone in your organization is responsible for your social media presence and empowered to respond to events as they unfold.