Who Owns Your Social Media?

Often when discussing social media with clients and prospective clients, it seems like ownership and management of social media frequently comes up as a concern. On the one hand, it’s important that all social channels maintain a clearly defined identity and voice; your customers and the other folks you’ll be engaging with in the social space want (and deserve) to know what they’re getting in to when they strike up a dialogue online. Whether you have a dedicated social media person or team, or the agency handles both the strategy and the communications themselves, consistency is key.

On the other hand, maybe you don't an agency doing the actual tweeting, posting, or replying on your behalf. It may sound crazy hearing someone from the billable hours side of the table tell you this, but it doesn’t always make sense to put someone else entirely in charge of your dialogue with customers. At the very least, you’re gonna want some oversight.

Chrysler and New Media Strategies’ recent Twitter blunder sheds some light on just why it’s so important to set up clear processes, procedures, and access guidelines. One of NMS’ employees dropped the F-bomb using the official Chrysler account while on the way to work the other day. Even better, he or she blasted Detroit drivers... the citizens of the city that Chrysler’s new incredibly well received campaign is built around. Yeah, oops. On the flip side, industry leaders like Edelman Digital continue to do amazing things, just check out what they’re doing with the @EdgeShaveZone.

Its all a matter of context. No matter how big your business, no matter what the industry, you should be actively engaged in social media. It isn’t a fad, and it isn’t going away. Just make sure that someone has direct ownership of the channels, and that whoever it is has a plan and they’re sticking to it.