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I just returned from the NRPA National Congress in Salt Lake City, UT. A few things stood out to me:
- Most people want to be better at marketing (judging by the number and popularity of the sessions)
- Everyone knows they should be using social media and wants to learn more (judging by the popularity of the sessions)
- Most people are afraid (or don't have a clue how) to start using social media (judging by the questions asked in the sessions)
I've attended most of the technology-related sessions at NRPA for the last 4-5 years. Every time I am pleased by the number of people interested, but unsatisfied by the quality and/or message of the presentations (although they have improved significantly in the last few years). In general, the message has been:
"This is new, everyone is here, you should be using [Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Wiki's...fill-in the blank]. It will allow you to reach [your desired audience] and you will see [the amazing results you want]. It is free and much easier than updateing your website. With a few clicks you can be setup and on your way to marketing brilliance. I can't believe you aren't using this technology yet."
Unfortunately, I am afriad that often the presenters only have a surface understanding of these services. They spend a lot of time talking about the various services, what they can be used for, and how to easily set them up. What the fail to cover is why you should use each one (other than "everybody is doing it") and how to properly utilize these services to best market your programs, reach the greatest audience, close the sale, and create repeat customers. In fact, often I believe the message is a little backwards. Here are a few of my thoughts on what I call Social Media Myths:
Myth #1: You must use social media tools if you want to be effective.
More than likely, you should be using a some social media tools, but these tools shouldn't be viewed as one-size-fits-all.
Every town and every department is different. Just because some young guy told you that you should start using product XYZ, that doesn't mean that it is the best decision for your organization. You need to evaluate:
- What market am I targeting with this service?
- How well will this reach my potential customers?
- What is the time investment needed by my staff?
- How will this affect our brand?
- What is the potential return on investment for using this service?
You might be considering a great service, but if your customers aren't using it yet, it isn't reaching the right target market, it will poorly reflect your "brand," or your staff will spend an excessive amount of time managing it in comparison to the potential return, then you should probably have second thoughts. It may be something that would be an asset to your organization, but you do not have the staff to effectively keep the service up-to-date. It is also possible that you are already doing an effective job of reaching your customers through your current marketing plan...this could be especially true of smaller communities, or those with older populations. Yes, you probably should be using some social media tools, or planning to soon, just don't jump every time the latest thing comes out or you may stretch yourself too thin. Take time to evaluate each social media outlet individually and make educated decisions.
Myth #2: It is super-easy.
Nothing is easier than creating an account; effectively managing it, on the other hand, takes time and thought.
Sure, anyone can setup and use twitter or Facebook, but using it "properly" takes work. Each social media tool comes with it's own etiquette. Etiquette may range from keeping your account updated and making your posts useful to giving proper credit and not being too pushy or "spammy." It is easy for beginners to make poor decisions like automatically direct-messaging their followers with tacky thank-you's or configuring their account to auto-follow anyone (including the trashy spam accounts). Other pitfalls include poor communication (remember social medial is a two-way street), posting too frequently, and posting irrelevant or erroneous information. I'm sure we will cover social media etiquette in later blog posts, just keep in mind that you need to learn the rules-of-the-road and be committed to making the tool a success.
Myth #3: You will see amazing results.
Social media can produce great results, but be prepared to invest your time and be patient.
When it comes to technology I have learned that most people have a “if you build it, they will come” mentality. Whether it is a website or a social media account, it takes time to build a following. People hear the sensational stories about videos and blogs that “go viral” overnight with millions of views…trust me; this is the exception not the rule. Can social media produce great results for your organization? Definitely, but you must be committed to build relationships online over the course of weeks and months.
Myth #4: Social media eliminates the need to update/upgrade your website.
Social media should drive traffic to your website, not take people away from it.
Most recreation department’s websites are outdated and difficult to update. For many, this is part of the lure of Facebook, Twitter, Ning, etc. You can easily update these services and it looks a whole lot better than your website. The problem is that it is easy to use these services at the neglect of your site. Remember, your website is where you close the sale. It should be where you want your customers to hang-out, get their questions asked, and explore the programs and facilities you have to offer. The role of social media is to reach out to customers that don’t visit your site and bring them in. When you rely on these sites as the primary place for your web presence you are putting yourself at risk. These sites cannot be relied on in the long run. Popular sites come-and-go (look at MySpace), and while some may have millions of users, most are not even profitable. Social medial should be viewed as an additional advertising/marketing channel, not your main website presence. Your website is of primary importance; their website is only important as long as it reaches additional customers and refers them to your services.
The moral of the story: How you use social media is more important than whether you use it.
At RecWebsites.com our goal is to build a web presence for your orginazation that utilizes the latest tools in the proper way. We make your website the primary hub of information about your organization. We take the stress out of site management by making it as user friendly as possible. We incorporate all the features you could ask for (digital video, photo galleries, comments, interactive maps, RSS & email subscriptions, etc) so that your site is something that users want to spend time on. We build social media integration into our websites in a way that makes it easy to communicate a consistent message across all services, and refers the customer back to your website where you can both close the sale and cross-promote other programs and events.
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