As startup people, we’re often Davids in a world of big-business Goliaths. We work with less capital and bigger risks. We’ve got to build awareness of our services fast, and deliver on the promise of our revolutionary new product or service in record time. But, when done right, social media can be the great equalizer, allowing us to compete with established big businesses and define our brands clearly (and affordably) to an ever-growing audience. Which is why, as a startup, you can’t afford to let your social media presence be anything less than A+.
Having a Facebook page or Twitter account today is like having a phone number or a website: it’s only an advantage if you use it properly. Here’s three things you have to do as a startup to make sure you’re maximizing your advantages on social:
1. Make sure your content isn’t crap.
It has to be said: if all you’re posting or tweeting are thinly veiled ads for your services disguised as editorial, people will just tune out. Everyone’s officially over the encroachment of ads on their social media space (aren’t you?). Remember: we go to social media to be social — to connect with our community, find out what’s happening in the world, be educated and entertained. Ask yourself: is your content something your followers would actually want to read and (more importantly) share? Would you share it? Is it original, funny, thought-provoking? Does it help them solve problems or enlighten them with new information? If not, you’ve got some content creation to do (and tens of thousands of cat videos to compete with, so it better be good).
2. Mobilize the best social media promoters you’ve got: your very own staff.
Employee advocacy is all the rage in marketing circles right now (and rightfully so: it’s smart, cost-effective, and builds gold-plated loyalty and invaluable trust in your brand). And it sounds easy: just tell your employees to post about your company online, right?
Not so fast. For employee advocacy to really work, you’ve got to provide your people with commonsense guidelines about how and what you’d like them to post, as well as high-quality content that they will actually be psyched to share with their networks (see #1). Better yet, why not ask them what they would like to share about your startup? Get their ideas. Hear their feedback. You’ve hired smart people, right? So of course you want to hear what they have to say. Remember: you’re encouraging and empowering staffers to wax poetic about your venture to their social media networks, not ordering them. Speaking of encouraging your employees…
3. Make sure you’re creating a positive company culture.
Startups contend with many huge challenges, but one great advantage they have is the ability to decide, with a clean slate: what kind of culture do we want to create? You’re not dealing with a centuries-old business that has an entrenched culture or an established way of doing things: you get to choose. And creating an atmosphere at your workplace where employees feel recognized and valued isn’t just good karma: it’s good business. From companies such as IDEO and Centro Digital Media (winner of Crain’s Chicago Business’s “Best Place To Work” four years in a row) to name-brand multinationals like Zappos and Google, business leaders on the cutting edge recognize that satisfied workers who feel valued benefit every aspect of company life, including the bottom line. Taking care of your staff translates to fantastic social media marketing opportunities. If you’ve got a positive company culture, your employees will be more than happy to promote you and advocate for you on social media—and content shared by staffers will reach an audience that’s 10 times the size of your brand’s reach. Enthusiastic recommendations from your own staff? That’s marketing so valuable you can’t buy it: it has to be earned. So start earning it!
