There have been many chapters in the book of my life, some sad but most really happy. I’m now at the end of another chapter and it is bittersweet. I’m leaving H&R Block to become the General Manager of a new online shopping site that will be launching this fall. I’m excited to start this new chapter as it is fulfilling one of my dreams, but, sad to leave behind a great brand and wonderful colleagues.
Over the last three years, the H&R Block brand has embraced the opportunity to communicate with consumers differently. We have been on the forefront of social media and been honored by positive mentions from thought leaders such as Shel Israel, Francois Gossieaux, Jeremiah Owyang, Jake McKee, Andy Sernovitz, and Chris Heuer. Traditional media has also taken note of the “tax company that could” with mentions in the Wall Street Journal, PC World, Advertising Age, ClickZ, and Marketing Sherpa among others. But most importantly, consumers have engaged with us in new and different ways through YouTube, Twitter, Second Life, FaceBook, Myspace and our own community site at hrblock.com.
This has been an incredible journey for me personally. The accomplishments we have achieved are the result of a team effort. I’m happy to know that I’ve had a positive influence on that team and overjoyed knowing that the team will be carrying the torch and continue to make a difference with our customers. There are some key learnings about social media that every corporate social media marketer should know:
- Every brand can be and should be “social” - Conversations about your brand and products are happening everywhere. You need to be part of the conversation and if H&R Block can make taxes social, your product can be social too.
- Just get started – It doesn’t take a big budget to get started in social media marketing. In fact, much of social media marketing is human capital. Start by listening. Set up Google alerts to look for conversations about your brand or product. Use TweetDeck and set up a brand search to monitor what is going on about your brand or product in the Twitterverse. Then participate in the conversation, just remember to be authentic, honest and transparent and you will be fine. If you take the first steps to engage in the conversation you will learn more about how your brand or product fits into the social media space and it will help guide any future programs.
- Integrated marketing vs. social media - There is a difference between an integrated marketing campaign that includes viral components or online/offline coordination and a social media program. A marketing campaign has a short life; it is singular in desired action and is usually focused on demand generation. A social media program is a commitment to engage and communicate with consumers where the consumer wants to communicate. If you are going to start a marketing campaign with social elements versus a social media program, you must start with the end in mind. The worse thing a marketer could do is build a group of fans, friends or followers without a clear exit strategy after the campaign is completed.
Find your brand’s own path – What works for one brand in social media does not mean it is right for another. For example, the path of engagement with a movie franchise is very different than engaging consumers about taxes. Remaining true to your brand promise is the best way to approach social media. Utilize your brand promise as a guiding principle across all your social media efforts. Reflect it in the content that you create, the tone that you use, and the programs that you develop.
- Media $ versus human capital – I mentioned human capital earlier. Companies can spend a lot of money trying to launch a social media program. For the most part, I would really classify those efforts as an integrated marketing campaign. Your approach and funding of an integrated marketing campaign needs to be in line with the size and scope of your overall marketing budget. Social media programs can be a lot more cost efficient from a media budget standpoint, but, you still need human capital to run them. In many cases you may be trading media $ for the human capital needed to run a program. For example if you are taking the first step of listening and engaging in the conversation, there is no media buy necessary. However, you do need to have some person dedicated to scanning and responding. Ideally, that person is an employee of the company. Why this should be an employee leads to the next tip.
- Agencies play a great role, but the voice needs to be the company’s -There have been many company backlashes by having your agency respond in the social media space. Remember that the consumer wants to connect with you, not your agency. Your agencies can monitor and identify opportunities, but it is the company that needs to respond – authenticity is key.
- Your agency needs to walk the walk – I hate paying an agency to learn on my dime. When we started three years ago, social media was so new and changing so rapidly that we were all learning together. Today there are many different agencies that are building expertise in social media including public relations firms, interactive agencies and newly formed agencies focusing on social media. As you select an agency partner make sure that they don’t just talk the talk but also walk the walk. Are they active in social media? Does the agency blog or twitter? Judge the agency not solely on their pitch, but also on their actions.
- Get legal involved early – Your legal department can be an ally or a roadblock. What you need to understand is that in the area of social media there is not a lot of legal precedence to draw on. This makes your legal department nervous because it is more difficult to know the best way to protect the company. Involve your legal department early and help them understand your goals so you can build a partnership and not hit as many roadblocks. Ask your legal department to help you solve for the risks versus just state that you cannot proceed with a program. There are always solutions to mitigate risk. You and your legal department can find solutions together.
- Have a crisis management plan – The recent Dominoes episode clearly identifies the need of a crisis management plan. In a world of 24x7 communications, the brands that can respond quickly to a crisis will be the brands that weather the storm. A good crisis management plan must begin with active monitoring. Judgment will need to be exercised to distinguish a customer service issue from a true crisis management situation. Once a crisis has been detected, the brand will need to respond in a matter of hours not days. Early action will help nip a crisis in the bud before it explodes into something larger. No action or ignoring it will only exacerbate the issue. A brand that is already active in social media will also carry more credibility and rally more supporters to come to the brand’s defense.
- Selling the C-Suite or ROI – One of the most popular questions that I get asked is how to build support at the C-level. Having a clearly defined objective is critically important to gain support of any initiative. However, everyone is always focused on the ROI or return on the investment. I have defined ROI a little differently in this new and emerging space as Risk Of Ignoring. There is an absolute change occurring in how we communicate and seek information as a society. The millennial generation is the first digital native generation with very different expectations of companies and marketing. In the not so distant future the millennials will be a larger purchasing demographic than the boomers. Not understanding this segment will be detrimental for future marketers. Watch Shift Happens and share it with your senior leadership team. It is a great example of how we are living in exponential times.
The last topic is not really a tip but a reality of the brave new world we operate in – personal brands. The lines between all the roles we play as an individual are becoming blurred. Books like Me 2.0 are promoting self-branding. In the social media space there are divided camps and murkiness all around. Scott Monty has been accused of using his profession at Ford to drive his personal brand, when the reality is that Scott Monty has been using his personal brand in the social media space to promote Ford. On the flip side, individuals who participate in social media are experiencing the impacts of their personal communications being equated to corporate communications even when there are clear disclosures that the views expressed are their own. And we hear a news report every few weeks about how content that is shared publicly via FaceBook or Myspace is being used in employment screening.
There is not a guidebook on how to best proceed in the new age of communication. I play many roles. I’m a wife, mother, friend and employee. My communications take on elements of all the roles that I play. I know I’m not perfect and I’m making mistakes as I learn. The best advice I have in this area is for you to realize that the sum of all your activity through social networks does become your personal brand. Understand your goals for your personal brand. Are you going to use it specifically as a friendship connection, to maintain professional connections, or are you trying to build a personal brand to promote yourself? These are three distinct paths that will drive different types of communications. Understanding your end goal is the first step to navigating a space filled with landmines.
I know that H&R Block will continue to be a leader in the social media space because they truly care about engaging in customer dialog. I leave behind a great team of talented professionals who are as passionate about social media as I am. A bright future lies ahead for H&R Block and I will be cheering them on from the sidelines.
As sad as I am to leave H&R Block, I’m excited to start my new chapter. I’m also thrilled to start actively engaging and sharing in the conversation. Due to competitive considerations I have been limited in my ability blog openly, as I start my new adventure expect to hear from me more frequently. Stay tuned for more…
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