Top 4 Challenges for Migrating Social Media Platforms
Introduction Uncertainty abounds for the current customers of Wildfire since Google recently announced that is essentially shutting down its social media service, being that it no longer will build new features or sign new customers to their product. If you are an enterprise level customer of this SRP, you must decide the best way to evaluate new partners and services in order to navigate the complex, ever- changing landscape of social media. In facing these choices and comparing platforms by features, you will soon discover they seem strikingly similar on paper and obtaining the right tool is only half the battle! That s why it is important to explore the top challenges in the process to avoid the pitfalls. Challenge 1: Evaluating SRPs to find the right one. No one wants to get stuck with a tool that is not flexible in functionality, lacks necessary business platforms, does not fully optimize or has deceptive pricing. Therefore, it is crucial to identify the best SRP tool for your business through extensive research and evaluation. The size and complexity of your migration will vary depending on your business and social channels. Here are some of the migration tasks ahead including, but not limited to the following: Establish which social media platforms will be supported with the new tool (Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Linkedin, etc.) Determine which platform or data sets will integrate with your current analytics (CRM, web analytics, business intelligence, etc.) Evaluate the full features and capabilities of your new tool (listening, optimizing, targeting, creating and compliance are all different functions) Review workflow functionality and processes (editorial management, automatic notification and real-time updates, etc.) Align platforms for distribution (simultaneous cross-channel publication, mobile deployment and ad creation, etc.) Support yourself and your team (phone, email, peer-to-peer and online community, etc.) Price your options, they are all different so make sure there are no surprises. Challenge 2: Surprises When expectations aren t set right, organizations attempt to implement and adopt social media platforms with inadequate resources and insufficient expertise. To minimize this, the first step is to understand the big picture by developing a project plan and treating the migration like any other large business project. There are many dependencies including your system integrations, social platforms and distribution channels. A clear, concrete plan will help you achieve success and see the many aspects of content migration that you ll need to consider. The second step is to identify resource requirements. Know what you re getting into in terms of budget and personnel and estimate downtime so that you can manage internal expectations within your company. One of the key stumbling blocks for many organizations in adopting a new social media platform successfully, is that they don t come in with accurate expectations of the type of investment and focus required to be successful.
Challenge 2: Surprises Here are some of the surprises you could face: Unexpected pricing. Free tools can be free for a limited time only or support may last only through the initial set-up. Be sure you understand total cost before signing the contract. Compliance & Legal Review. Internal processes may require that legal or compliance teams sign off thereby slowing down work flow and adding complexity to your evaluation. Risk officers voice concern that it is too easy to lose track of just who owns accounts and their passwords. Some stipulate an updated social media policy be created and/or changed to meet the new tool requirements. Others may have specific security measures and requirements for your new vendor. Example: Unexpected things can happen when it comes to costs. Be sure to double check. Example: Be sure to explore your support options and service downtimes before committing to one provider. Under-resourced. A common complaint is that social media efforts are severely under-resourced. This could become a bigger headache if your tool does not complete all of the functionality needed. Some organizations augment internal resources with agency help. This works well when agencies are familiar with the do s and don ts of your communication policies and tools. Be sure your agency really knows the new tool. Our best advice for marketing teams in this position is to develop laser-focused goals, decide how it can prove value to the organization and use a tool that will increase productivity. Executive Support. While all-out resistance to social media is diminishing, real support and active participation are hard to come by. With a new initiative in switching social media platforms, an old conversation may surface. For example, we are frequently asked, How can I get my executives to blog? The truth is that most executive blogs are ghost written and very few executives are out there tweeting. If your execs aren t naturally inclined to use social media, focus on developing active subject matter experts who actually enjoy using social media and value your personal brand. Now is a great time to get them on board to support your efforts. Challenge 3: Lack of Tech Support In order to avoid this trap, talk with perspective vendors as you consider new SRP platforms. You ll need to ask questions to find the platform that fits all your needs. Ask about the type and steps of migration as well as a plan for implementation. Think about test design upgrades for users and a plan for structured content. Consider deciding in advance whether you need additional contractor support. It has been shown, that one of the biggest challenges for organizations during their initial ramp-up period is in pinpointing where and when to start with a new platform/ tool. If you find you are stuck, there should be support readily available to ensure you are set-up for success. Studies indicate that the chances for a successful implementation increase dramatically when organizations work with a good implementation consultant. The organization you choose must show up as a full partner in the process in order to be successful. A good relationship with the right social media partner can help the organization navigate a maze of important initial choices, eliminate some key hurdles and get you started on the right foot.
Challenge 3: Lack of Tech Support Questions to ask a prospective provider about their tech support service: Do they have a service contract and what does the service level agreement entail? What are their support channels? (Phone, chat, email, support ticketing system, social, online community, mobile app, text, etc) How long does the support last? (Ongoing with no costs, ongoing with costs, only through implementation, etc.) What are the hours of their tech support and when can you speak to a live person? Example: Be sure to understand all of your service provider features and functionality before committing. Example: Make sure your service supports the social media platforms you need. Challenge 4: Staff Confusion Research shows that training and leadership are key in any organizational change. Train your content team so they are familiar with the new SRP before you actually migrate. Make sure everyone is familiar with common tasks like adding content to the queue and knowing how to properly set up hashtags along with their topics. Verify with them the guidelines about the process for setting up new accounts, monitoring accounts for negative comments, setting-up promoted tweets and advertising, etc. This way staff can jump right in once the new SRP is in place. Be sure to identify roles and responsibilities so everyone knows who is responsible for every piece of the migration project. This will ensure nothing falls through the cracks. It might come as a surprise, but even when the technical side is done well, it can still be hard to get staff to actually use the system! In fact, staff adoption shows up as one of the most significant challenges across all types of organizations. As such, it requires some careful change management planning. Such a plan may include procuring/maintaining staff, Example: Many providers supply support in a variety of ways, including over Twitter. Be sure to find the support options that work for you. Example: Changing service providers sometimes means change management is needed in other areas. Example: One of the biggest challenges can be social media training. Example: Employees get excited about social media training so be sure to include them. leadership buy-in and clear communication of the vision and value of the project. It is useful to have a thorough plan for training staff (more than once!) and supporting them as they learn the system. Without proper attention, there is a danger there the new SRP is something staffers don t understand, don t like and don t trust. Once that trust is broken, staff abandon it for their old habits. Which means less value for the money being spent and inferior outcomes when the tool isn t used to its full potential.
Challenge 4: Staff Confusion Is that an exhaustive list of challenges? Hardly, considering each issue contains a multitude of variables. It can, however, be used as a guideline to simplify the process or at least, start your wheels spinning. Though the complexity of a migration project involves getting a wide range of details correct and is often more elaborate than expected, that anxiety can be tempered with the view that the transition can be an opportunity to increase your market share. About SocialFlow SocialFlow s technology solutions measurably improve your Brand s ability to be successful in using social platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. We improve user engagement with your content, and therefore increase the rate at which users take action. We do this by using real-time data to understand the constantly changing interests of your audience, then mapping your content to the windows where you ll get the most attention. We couple the technology with industry leading insights, to give you a complete picture of how well you are reaching your audience. We like to describe our value proposition as: Right message. Right audience. Right time. Whether you are trying to achieve clicks, likes, follows, shares, or any other social objective, we have a solution that will improve the performance of both your Owned and Paid Media efforts. The combination of your content, your audience, and SocialFlow s technology creates measurable value. We work closely with Facebook and Twitter to incorporate the latest publishing and advertising changes into our products keeping up with the changes so that you don t have to. If you are interested in learning more about SocialFlow, visit us at www.socialflow.com or call us at 646.895.2377. socialflow.com 212.883.9844 facebook.com/socialflow @SocialFlow