We know from experience that social networks like Twitter and Facebook can result in purchases, conversions and other meaningful results for B2B and B2C brands alike. But that doesn’t mean that it’s easy to craft a social media strategy. The fact is, the spontaneity of social media can be slowed down for brands that must comply with internal or external messaging rules and regulations. To make sure that your messaging efforts run smoothly, there are a few pre-emptive steps you should take in preparation.
Make it a habit to plan ahead.
This goes for all brands, but it’s even more important for brands that need to have internal or external approval before sending out social messaging. Create social media editorial calendars ahead of schedule and then establish a workflow with your legal team to determine the time frame you’ll need to create messaging, get approval and then schedule it all. This can be tricky, and requires a lot of communication between the teams to make sure that everyone stays on track. As you start to implement this, you’ll definitely want to carve out extra time for the process. As it starts to become a regular part of everyone’s week, the time you’ll need will decrease and you can adjust from there.
Create a set of guidelines for all to use as reference.
As you start to get a picture of what is and isn’t acceptable messaging, and how much time is needed for the process, start to create a set of guidelines that documents it all. If you discover that there are specific questions or comments you’re encountering from fans and followers on a regular basis, you can also work to create a list of approved responses that you can use when time is short and the team doesn’t have time to approve extra messaging. This will come in handy as a quick reference guide for members of both teams, especially if and when they begin to expand or change. It will also help keep your messaging consistent, and could help cut down on the time needed to review messages.
Brush up on any of Twitter’s own guidelines.
This isn’t applicable to all brands, but it’s worth noting. Depending on the messaging you plan to send out, you may want to check and see if there are any guidelines already in place for that type of promotion, ad or specific industry. You can brush up on compliant and non-compliant sponsored tweets, for a start.
What is the biggest hurdle you face trying to get approval for your brand’s tweets? How have you adapted to it? Share your experiences with us!
