Social Media Savviness Key for All Employees
By Staff | May 13, 2014
Is social media becoming irrelevant in the marketing world? HootSuite CEO Ryan Holmes says growth in social media manager positions declined 50 percent in 2013. This seems to point to a decline in need for executing social media strategies.
Actually, it’s just the opposite. Things are certainly shifting, but not away from social media. Companies that previously sought social media managers are now looking for employees who are efficient in social media practices no matter which area of the organization they specialize in.
Hiring more “hybrids” is one initiative happening, but companies have also turned to training current staff who need better social media skills—and this means lessons on both what to do and what not to do. Corporate branding expert Jeanne Meister points out that tight social media policies are necessary to avoid inappropriate or unserviceable online behavior.
MSP’s own social media manager, Carly Reynolds, agrees that training staff on best practices can mitigate crises.
“Much of what happens in social conversations can be fairly judgment based, and having a good editor with a strong moral compass is important, but at the end of the day, if your brand ambassadors don’t know how to handle complaints or when to elevate complaints, all is for naught,” says Reynolds. “Best practices are more than just knowing when to tweet. Training and processes are the foundation to avoiding crisis and providing a positive forum for your audience.”
Check out Mindflash’s infographic for How To Train Your Employees To Handle Your Social Media, and Mashable’s 4 Steps for Successful Social Media Training.
As Meister says, we’re at a point where social media training in the workplace is “as common as ethics and diversity training.” We certainly agree. Do you?
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