Waikato Business News October/November 2016

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4 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS October/November 2016 Managing social media like a pro In the previous two editions of Waikato Business News, the HMC Communications team has helped you: 1) determine whether your organisation needs to be on social media and 2) consider which social media channels are the most relevant for your organisation to appear. Kiwi App Giant appoints new CIO Toby Hutchings is used to being a decade ahead of most people. According to Ernest & Young, the average age for a Chief Information Officer is 43. At 33, Hutchings already has a ten-year head start as the newly-appointed CIO of New Zealand app giant, MEA. In fact, working ahead seems to be his general modus operandi, having started his own agency while still at university, before spending the last twelve years building startups, running companies and building his toolkit as a digital user experience expert. The Waikato boy will be in charge of technology strategy, governance, risk management and ‘generally thinking into the future and planning for where technology is going,’ at the country’s largest independent app developer. MEA’s team of 60 is spread across offices in Hamilton, Auckland and Wellington as well as the East Coast of the United States. The company is the force behind international chart-topping apps such as Printicular, and boasts an impressive list of international and local work including Kodak, Budweiser and the New Zealand Agricultural Fieldays. Hutchings says the move to MEA was motivated by the desire to work in a company that is leading in the tech space, ‘and getting to be based mostly in Hamilton while doing it. That’s the thing about the weightless digital economy - you can do business with anyone in the world from anywhere. The smart, creative people at MEA are proof of that.’ Hutchings was part of the awardwinning Tau Ora programme team at Te Wānanga O Aotearoa, where he also spent 07 838 2325 | 027 556 8388 Tower Building, Level 15 48 Ward Street, PO Box 9179 Hamilton 3240, New Zealand two years on a team tasked with driving massive change in the technology used by the institution. Before landing his role at Te Wānanga, Hutchings’ business focused on the Waikato region, ‘landing [Māori magazine] Tumai in my early 20s was my first major deal. Hard work and a focus on quality led to more opportunities and profitable business over the next ten years, before my next challenge came in the form of Te Wānanga.’ 30240 This month, in our third and final article, we’re offering simple tips and tricks that will enable you to manage your social media channels like a pro. 1. Start with a strategy Organisations often make the mistake of jumping into social media without a plan. At best, this is a waste of time and at worst, it can lead to a PR disaster. Always start with a social media strategy. There are many formats you can follow, but as a guide, we suggest creating a document that answers the following five questions for each social media channel you’ve decided to use: What are they key purposes of this channel? Who are the key audiences I am trying to reach? What specific objectives do I want to achieve with this channel and how will I measure those? What key messages do I want to get across in my content? And what are the ‘rules’ or ‘policies’ will I follow when it comes to posting to this channel? With your overarching strategy there as a reference point, you’re in the perfect position to start creating content. 2. Create your content For those starting out, the prospect of coming up with regular content for your channels can be daunting. That’s where a regular content calendar comes in handy. This typically looks like a monthly or six-weekly grid with dated spaces containing specific ideas for content. To avoid spamming your followers, we recommend including about 3-5 posts per week including photos, videos and relevant links. As you generate your calendar, think specifically about what your key audiences want to see rather than just what you want to post. Your social media is a place for them to find things to like, comment on, and — best of all —share with others in their own networks, be it funny, informative or technical. By all means, you can still be spontaneous and post or share the latest news of that day, but forward-planning your content alleviates the pressure to constantly generate posts. Refer back to your strategy to check your calendar content is relevant. 3. Monitor and engage ‘Social’ media needs to be truly that: social. Just like a face-to-face conversation, your audiences expect you to engage in two-way communication. Simply posting content and leaving activity to bubble away on its own will make your followers feel ignored. No organisation wants their stakeholders to think that engaging with you was a waste of time! That’s why it’s essential you regularly monitor what’s happening on your channels and respond quickly. On Facebook and Instagram, for example, we recommend responding daily to all comments and messages. On Twitter, monitoring of your page, tweets, mentions and relevant hashtags needs to happen as frequently as every hour. This encourages community and conversation. Note that it’s likely you’ll eventually run into a negative comment or two on your channel. As a general rule, you should avoid deleting these. Instead, look at them as an opportunity to engage with people, dispel myths, and understand points of view. Only delete any comments that defame individuals or use harsh language. 4.Tap into the tools Managing your social media manually and switching between each site can be time-consuming and confusing. You’ll be glad to know that there are many useful online tools to help you manage your different channels. Here are a few of our favourites: 1) Hootsuite is a social media management platform, and as such it lets you monitor and manage all of your channels easily in one ‘dashboard’. No more flicking between three windows to access your Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 2) Buffer is a content publishing platform, letting you easily publish and schedule content to appear on your channels, saving you time. Its simplicity is definitely a winning point. 3) Lastly, with the need to include more visual content in your social-media posts, you can turn to Canva to effortlessly develop high-quality images. Hundreds of templates are available to you: simply personalise them, download, and post to your channels. Google ‘top social media tools’ for a myriad more to add to your toolbelt. In this article we’ve covered just the very tip of the social media management iceberg. To recap, start with a strategy, create your content, monitor and engage, and tap into the tools. These tips ought to set you on the path to social media success. If your organisation isn’t resourced to ‘do’ social media well, or the prospect gives you anxiety, we recommend you wait, or consider outsourcing your social media efforts. Having the right resource on board will help you to achieve your business goals. However, keep in mind that even if you outsource your social media management, your outsourcing team will still require your time to help develop regular content, obtain photos and video and provide quick answers to questions and comments as they arise. It will take a time commitment whether you manage it internally or externally. Good luck as you begin to explore, or continue traversing, the exciting world of social media! HMC Communications is an award-winning Hamiltonbased public relations agency. See hmc-communications.co.nz for our videos about social media tips and more. SPA2036 WE’RE LOCAL LIKE YOU We know what business is like where you live, because we live there too. We’ll come to you, giving you a dedicated business communications expert and regular tech checks to ensure you have the right solutions. CALL 0800 BUSINESS TO FIND OUT WHAT SPARK BUSINESS CAN DO FOR YOU SPA2036 Generic Local Like You ad 260x100mm FA.indd 1 21/04/16 4:05 pm
From the editor As a general rule the business community likes certainty and in Hamilton’s civic political scene at present, there’s not much of that. October’s mayoralty race delivered a stunningly close result as Andrew King held off Paula Southgate by only nine votes. With a recount pending, it’s a disconcerting waiting period for the business community. But spare a thought for the two people involved and newly elected councillor Siggi Henry whose election would be overturned if Ms Southgate takes over as mayor. To his credit, Mr King is handling a stressful situation with great aplomb, ensuring he keeps things moving and makes the necessary decisions to organise the new council by working out committee structures and how the team will operate. The odds favour Mr King holding on and if he does there is change ahead. He wants to fast track housing development – including at Peacocke - which will be a huge boost for the south which has taken a back seat to Rototuna in recent decades. The future of the CBD association – at least in its present form – will come under scrutiny as Mr King has signalled he wants its role reviewed, while he is also determined to take a scalpel to the city’s District Plan so it’s less restrictive and easier to understand. If Mr King is elected, it promises to be an actionpacked term. MONTHLY POLL VOTE AND WIN Sponsored by the Helm Bar and Kitchen This month’s poll Andrew King is the new mayor of Hamilton by nine votes, pending the results of a recount. Will he be good for Hamilton business? Vote on the WBN website (www.wbn.co.nz) and fill in the entry form to be in to win a meal voucher for two at The Helm Bar & Kitchen. Voting closes Monday November 21. Last month’s results Will the completion of Waikato Expressway have a significant effect on your business? The vast majority of Waikato businesses say completion of the Waikato Expressway to Auckland will have a significant effect on their business. Sixty-seven percent of respondents in Waikato Business News’ latest poll welcome its completion while the rest don’t think it would make much difference to them. The $100 million, four-lane road between the Bombay Hills and Cambridge is due for completion in December 2019. 33% 67% Will Andrew King as mayor be good for business? A. Yes B. No Cast your vote at: www.wbn.co.nz 5 WINNER OF THE HELM DINNER VOUCHER IS: Ron Gibson 33% 67% Yes No We’re celebrating 90 years at the heart of the wonderful Waikato. Ask for Braemar www.braemarhospital.co.nz 24 Ohaupo Road Hamilton Phone 07 843 1899 | Fax 07 843 9815
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Waikato Business News October/November 2016

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