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6 steps to your e-commerce social media guideline

The integration of social media is a must in retailer-customer communication for most online retailers. And yet Facebook, Twitter and others are not simply digital playing fields. There need to be rules. The basis of success is to implement social media activities in the overall strategy of the company based on a plan.

There’s a wide variety of targets that an online shop can achieve using social media: customer loyalty, information, entertainment, sales etc. But without a clear plan, all social media efforts may go in vain.

Every good plan should include social media guidelines. These guidelines ensure that each employee of the company or an external agency using social media knows exactly how to act in different situations.

Social media guidelines are best developed in cooperation with the team. This way, it is more likely that everyone will tend to identify with their contents and take them into account.

This is how theE-Commerce-vision blog outlines the development process:

How to create a social media guideline

In the design and subsequent implementation of a guideline for your social media activities, there are six important tips to consider:

Social media forms part of your overall strategy

As part of your communication strategy, social media needs to be firmly integrated into a business model. Where possible, it should be considered a division in its own right, with goals, budgets etc., just like PR, advertising and event management.

Target-group-appropriate selection of social media channels

Every online shop should know its customers inside out:what do they like, how can they appeal to them, and where do they mainly hang out online. Selecting the right social networks should be based on these parameters. On Pinterest, for example, women tend to be in the majority. So it’s a good place for fashion shops. But social media is definitely more than just Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. There are networks for almost every area of interest which, although they may be small, may be an ideal place to start conversations with your target group.

Selection of content

Unfortunately, there are still online shops which use social media solely as an advertising platform. In this way, companies generally waste a great deal of potential. Therefore, you should identify a canon of possible themes to be played out on Facebook and friends. In the process, the content must offer added value to the customer. This might, for example, come in the form of interesting news from the area of interest, insights into the company or even the involvement of users in selecting the product range. The greater the added value, the more willing users will be to engage or share a post from the shop.

Social media means transparency

Anyone actively involved in social media must be aware that users expect a high degree of transparency. This begins with the presentation of the social media team: that is, the very same people who communicate with the users on a daily basis. Companies don’t have to genuflect before their social media audience. However, they must be prepared to discuss topics which the retailer would prefer to keep under wraps.

Define scope of service

If a customer uses a social media channel to contact the shop because he has a problem, that’s also where he should be answered. But not every problem can and should be discussed in the digital network. For this reason, it’s important to define the scope of services that a company can provide on social media. When a topic seems inappropriate for such a forum, the customer should be redirected via social media to a different communication channel. This way, he and all the other fans will recognise that the concern is being taken seriously.

Comply with rights and obligations

Social media does not operate in a legal vacuum. So all activities must both comply with the relevant laws and also obey the rules of the social networks. It follows that the guideline must constantly be updated to meet the requirements of current case law.

Need more advice? Want to chat? Tweet us @TrustedShopsUK

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Jean-Marc Noel .