Speak The Language of the Channel

How to get your brand on a new channel successfully

By: Michael McMillan

I believe it is pretty well understood today that customers require their brands to be available and willing to communicate with them on the channels they prefer to use.  The problem is, many brands do not understand that when you come to these different channels there are rules you must follow, and failure to follow these rules can and will hurt your brand image on these channels.

So how do you make sure to speak the language of the channel? 

You ask....

So many brands today are just unwilling to do the easiest thing your parents taught you from an early age.  When you do not know something, ask for help.  

Company after company I have advised and helped to craft a marketing strategy start scheduling a chain of meetings when the topic of new channel expansion comes up.  To which I abide as the advisor, but have a trick up my sleeve.  Before I walk into the first meeting I come prepared with their new channel basically set up with a login and logo.  Then I make a single post that says, “hello everyone we are going to start being available to chat with you on this channel, and looking for ideas on how we can make that experience awesome, any help is appreciated.”  Sometimes I will through in #newbie for kicks. 

My rule is that some version of this post is already posted before the first person walks into this meeting I was asked to be apart of, and when I bring it up on the screen people are always shocked how many responses they have already received telling them exactly what and how they should interact with them on this new channel.

Why does this work?

This works because social media is just a community, and communities want to help new people become acquainted with how things work even more than your brand ever will.  This way they can ensure your brand does not become that new annoying thing everyone will need to block, a.k.a. every game ever on Facebook, and when someone wants to interact with your brand you understand how to interact with that user.

So next time you are being forced to sit through some meeting about building your social channel strategy, please allow me to help you cut through the BS with these simple steps.

1. Get a post out to the channel prior to the meeting asking people to provide ideas and input on how your brand could best interact with members of this community.
2. Compose all of that data into a one pager that you distribute to everyone as they enter the room.
3. Ask everyone to review the new channel strategy that was built by the channel your team is looking to expand into.
4. Start interacting and being an active member of your new social community.

If you do this you will quickly gain acceptance in your new channel, and gain notoriety for your willingness to be humble and gain the support and assistance of the community you are now part of.

To Your Success & Prosperity!