Rules of engagement

1.  Be authentic and personal

2.  Be honest and transparent

3. Conversations, not campaigns

This is the battlecry of social media engagement.  Read the Cluetrain Manifesto if you haven’t already.  And keep reading.

4. Avoid advertising-driven messaging

This is not a cost effective way to foist key selling propositions onto potential customers!!

5. Add value to the community

To paraphrase JFK, “ask not what the community can do for you, but what you can do for the community”.

6. Understand and respect the community’s rules of engagement

Each community is different.  Lurk before you leap in. Rules can change, keep checking.

7. Make no assumptions

Ask your social media expert or a moderator for guidance.

8. Review your concept of control

Marketers who were previously shielded from much brand criticism, except through arms length market research, need to get used to hearing the sometimes-harsh truth of opinion in real time.

Contact Network to find out about our products and services and how you can incorporate an online communication strategy into your PR and marketing campaign.