Get social!

Many companies in the green industry are embracing the idea of using what is commonly referred to as an “online community manager,” who can be an in-house employee, outside consultant or agency.

Responsibilities can range from website development and search engine optimization (SEO) to content creation and social media management.

This community manager role is going to become more critical within our organizations. It will also become more difficult for a single person to manage as technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace. Even more importantly, the need for real-time participation will be an absolute requirement. Green industry businesses will eventually have to come to grips with the idea that business is 24/7.

Because of this, I advocate a team approach to managing your company’s online presence. Below are 11 guidelines to follow when building an internal team to contribute to your company’s online presence and social media efforts.

1.Ask for help, don’t demand it. As you know, not everyone is into social media or active online. That’s perfectly fine. Don’t demand anything of these people. You’ll only get pushback.

You want enthusiastic people who are genuinely interested in social media and how it can help your business.

You don’t need every employee on board with your efforts. Find the few who are truly interested in exploring social media’s benefits.

2. Set your company’s organizational chart on fire. A person’s position in your company, or his or her experience, should not be a factor in selecting your team. Why does the CEO need to be involved if she has no interest in social media? She shouldn’t.

At the same time, why would you exclude someone near the bottom of your organizational chart if they truly want to help your social media efforts?

And, please, don’t play the age card. That college grad or high school kid you just hired doesn’t automatically qualify as a social media expert. Nor does he necessarily want to help in your efforts. On the flip side, don’t underestimate or disqualify someone because they are over the age of 40 (that’s an arbitrary number, folks). Age has nothing to do with enthusiasm and the willingness to help your business.

3. Include voices from all departments. My personal background is in landscape design and construction, so I naturally gravitate toward design/build topics. I’m not as well informed when it comes to other green industry topics or services.

Your company can’t have gaps in the topics you cover and content you create. Having voices from each department within your company enables you to tell a complete story about your company.

4. Clearly outline your objectives. Everyone within your company who is involved in your social media efforts needs to be shooting at the same target.

What are the big-picture objectives and specific goals you are trying to achieve? Is the objective to build customer loyalty or drive direct sales?

Is the objective to build brand awareness within a specific geographic area? These are three very different objectives that require unique strategies.

Your people need to understand your social strategy and what you are trying to achieve.

5. Give your people an incentive to participate. As I mentioned above, don’t demand that your people participate in your social efforts. You want people on board who truly want to help. When you find these folks, you need to reward them. I suggest creating a formal rewards program.

6. Set expectations, but let your people fail and make mistakes. We are just at the tip of the iceberg when it comes to social media. No one in the green industry has this completely figured out. Let your team experiment and try out new ideas, programs and plans. It’s important to let them have some fun. This is how you keep them engaged.

At the same time, set expectations for your team. I recommend introducing a two strike rule for team members.One inappropriate photo or status update, not a big deal. But make the same mistake twice and you’re off the team.

7. Explain why social media is important to your company and why you want your people to play a critical role. This can be a tough one because many business owners don’t fully understand how social media positively impacts their business and bottom line.

In order to get your people fully invested in your initiatives, you’d better be able to sell them on why exactly you are doing this, and why you want them to play an important role.

8. Give your team the tools to succeed. Would you send an employee out into the store with no prior training or plant knowledge? No way.

You need to give your social team every opportunity to succeed. This means providing them with the organization, systems, training and tools they are going to need to be effective. You can’t simply ask your employees to take pictures for you or write a blog post without giving them the proper tools and instruction. You need to enable them by making the process as frictionless as possible.

9. Keep your team updated. You must maintain your team’s interest and engagement if you want your social media efforts to pay off. Share your successes with them.

Has your website traffic increased significantly since putting together your social team? Is your blog generating more qualified leads? Your team should be informed of it. A single person cannot effectively manage your company’s social media and online marketing efforts without strong support internally. Engage your employees in your efforts and empower them to tell a compelling story about your business.

10. Provide your team with oversight. Whether you keep it in-house, hire an independent consultant or retain an agency, someone needs to be held responsible for providing oversight. Remember, this is a team you’re putting together. And all successful teams have a coach roaming the sideline calling the shots.

You will need one person in charge of keeping your social media program organized and running smoothly.

11. Start small, then build on success. Your social team might start out with two employees managing your company Facebook page. Then, later, you add another member to the team who manages your company Twitter account. This is perfectly acceptable.

Start any program slowly and build on your successes. Gain some momentum with one initiative like a Facebook page or blog before jumping into something else.

Chris Heiler is the founder and president of Landscape Leadership. Visit www.LandscapeLeadership.com to learn more.