Public Relations & Social Marketing Insight

...You could go blind reading tricks, tips and strategies for social media marketing success. But after being immersed in this space for many years now and having counseled thousands of business owners, executives and students, I think there is really one core idea everyone needs to consider when embarking on this journey.

Most companies and individuals start with an examination of platforms. Do I need a Facebook page? A blog? A Twitter account?  Where do I start and how do I get going?

Instead, I think there is another fundamental question to ask: “What is the source of my rich content?”

Let me explain what I mean by this strange little question with a story....

A look at how Maersk's social media manager, operating solo, engages fans on 10 social networks without bottom-line sales or gimmicks. He just tells stories.

When Jonathan Wichmann's boss at worldwide shipping company Maersk Line told him that the company was approaching a point of being ready to dive into social media a little more than a year ago, the two agreed that it would face some difficulties that companies that mainly communicate with the public might not.

"You can't fake it," Wichmann says.

Wichmann was a consultant for the company at the time. After joining Maersk full-time, Wichmann stepped up to handle everything virtually single-handedly.

In the year since that initial meeting, the company has accrued 650,000 Facebook fans and won awards for the social media campaign of the year and best community presence at the European Digital Awards. Maersk pulled that off in such a short time with what Wichmann calls an "insourcing" approach....