Services

Introduction to Web 2.0/Social Media

When it comes to Web 2.0/social media, often, the best place to start is with a description of the landscape. What is meant by Web 2.0/social media? What are some of the tools out there, who is using them and what applicability do they have for your business? What are your competitors doing? Through a comprehensive yet specific overview of Web 2.0/social media we help companies understand the potential that these technologies have to build stronger customer relationships and thereby drive growth.

Web 2.0/Social Media Strategy

Frequently many Web 2.0/social media initiatives start with technology first. This is a mistake. Web 2.0/social media planning must start with overall marketing objectives and the customer first. It is only through a comprehensive understanding of the customer and how they use technology that an effective Web 2.0/social media strategy can be developed.

Brand Communications Strategy

Assuming it makes sense for a company to engage in Web 2.0/social media, how should the overall communications strategy be crafted and implemented to properly integrate social media and traditional marketing? We leverage many years of communications strategy experience in the following industries to develop the most sound approach:

Customer Research

Web 2.0/social media activity needs to start with the customer first. How does the customer buy? How often? Who or what influences this decision? How does the customer use technology throughout a typical day and throughout the purchase cycle? How is the brand currently communicating with the customer? How does the brand wish to change this method of communication? Once these answers are known you are ready for the next step in social media planning. We use a combination of qualitative and quantitative research to build Web 2.0/social media customer profiles.

Implementation

We are not technology vendors. We have no vested interest in whether a customer solution is a blog, community, widget, wiki or podcast. We are only interested in developing the best strategic solution for each client. Once the plan is developed, we work with technology implementation experts selected specifically for the task at hand. We constantly attend tradeshows and conferences, interact with thought leading peers and monitor research sources such as Forrester to identify new technologies and implementation resources.

Change Management

Change Management is often overlooked when it comes to social media yet it is of critical importance. Web 2.0/social media is anything but business as usual. It is a revolutionary way to engage with customers and it requires employees within the organization to change the way they do their job. To be successful, communication about a Web 2.0/social media approach within the organization must go beyond an email from the marketing department. As with all effective Change Management programs, three paramount organizational questions must be answered when it comes to communicating internally about Web 2.0/social media: