All brand marketing and strategic plans begin with the same basic structure: Defining how your product and services differ from competitors and determining your target audience. The issue any organization must face is ensuring that its employees know the strategy and statement well enough to properly communicate it externally.
Your employees are the true face of your company, and includes not only of your sales and customer service staff; but those who don’t have client contact, as well.
Develop a strategy for disseminating information
Information can be publicized via social media before employees are prepared to react to it, so it’s important to stay ahead of the curve. Look for ways to include your employees (especially if you are in multiple locations) by creating a company intranet page, a private social media page closed to the public, email distribution or various other electronic means.
Establish social media guidelines
Your employees will understand your mission statement better and best represent the target audience you seek to improve, grow and communicate your business when you include them. It is essential to establish a social media policy for employees and help them understand the method and positive way to communicate your company’s brand. And that includes responses to negative reviews because you can’t control messages outsiders and competitors post with mentions about your organization. However, you should have a plan for a responding.
Inform and train your ambassadors
Your organization dedicates time to communicate, plan and execute your message with an agency to ensure your target audience knows your company. It should be no different with employees. The first step is to review or establish an external communications plan that includes them. It should be included for new hires their initial training. This helps establish the value you place on your employees. They should always be the first to know your company message and announcements before it is public.
Build your community
More than information sharing, social media provides an opportunity for bonding with employees, clients, potential clients and vendors. It is the most visual and topical communication you possess. Take advantage of social media and content management to build a community. Clients enjoy feeling involved with your business and offer an objective view of your company. Their communication can help bring in future clients or resources when they see their communication.
Exhibit company culture
Don’t hesitate to let employees communicate regarding the great work environment, social outings, daily competitions, social competitions, employee training and achievements during their employment. You want to show your employees you are as proud to have them and encourage them to be as proud of where they spend their workdays. You are highlighting the company culture and enhancing your branding while sharing your “family.”
What Gragg says…
Ensuring your internal and external communications are in lock step is essential in the social media era. Communicating in a timely way with your employees, customers and vendors is essential to your establishing and conveying your organization’s brand.