The Right Way to Join Social Conversations – 4 Must Do's

In blog posts last week we warned companies not to act like blowhards in their social marketing efforts — you need to listen before joining the conversation — and also not to be suckers and think that all “social” listening software is equal.

So - let’s assume that you are not acting like a social networking blowhard and that you’re listening to the social conversations taking place online using the technology that makes the most sense for your business objectives.

Now, you’re ready to join the online conversation.

And let’s further assume that your business objectives (as a marketing and/or PR professional) are to get publicity for your brand/news and to expand your social footprint and online visibility.

This blog post details one strategy to maximize the results of your social efforts (and accomplish your marketing and PR objectives). Four simple steps:
  1. Find the journalists, analysts and other social voices/influencers who have recently written or shared content on the topic(s) relevant to your news. Social voices are people who don’t fit in the journalist or analyst categories — they can be consultants, human resource, IT and other B2B decision makers, recruiters or speakers — but they have online thought leadership, big visibility and a lot of  “social” influence on topics that matter to B2B marketers and PR pros and their clients.
  2. Share their content with your social media networks. And share your content and news with them (and give some context as to why you are sharing the information).
  3. Comment on their blogs and news stories that relate to your news. Do so in a non-promotional manner while referencing and/or linking to yourcontent.
  4. Connect with (LinkedIn) and/or follow (Twitter) them, thus expanding your network and social footprint.

And don’t forget to repeat, repeat, repeat. The more intelligent effort you put into your social media marketing, the more results you will get.
Be more effective in joining online conversations
by using Social Listening and Conversation Analysis
Software, like SocialEars HR Edition.

But how do you find the right people who are authoring and curating content on the topics important to you, at the time you have news to share on these topics?

The traditional techniques—such as sending press releases to a list of contacts and checking for story opportunities on EdCals and services like ProfNet and Help A Reporter Out (HARO)—still have their place. But they aren’t enough in a social world. Social “conversation” listening technology that monitors blogs, Tweets, Facebook updates, LinkedIn shares and other online social activity allows you to quickly find the right authors and content curators.

Companies that combine a social media strategy — using social “conversation” listening software (like SocialEars HR Edition) — with traditional techniques will have an advantage over those that don’t.


A new white paper by HRmarketer titled “Want People To Hear You? Then Listen” goes into more detail about Social Listening And Engagement Software and how these technologies can help marketing and PR pros. Get it here.

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