In the agency world, social marketing has quickly become a must-have, core competency. Particularly as the lines between who does what among agencies has turned into a shag carpet – completely fuzzy and a little bit awkward for some! And sure, when push comes to shove and a client really, really needs a social execution, a dedicated agency will figure it out. But instead of trial and error on the client’s time and budget, agencies are getting smarter, demonstrating their expertise with a hands-on approach to social media and marketing. Here are a few, inspirational, real-world leads to follow:


• When HR blogs – No, not about policies and procedures and scandalous tales from anonymous sources. Rather, I’ve come across a digital agency that has its own HR blog and hosted podcast series dedicated to commentary about the TV show “The Office.” Quite a talk-worthy topic in a by-the-book HR world! In fact, this blog even has its own Facebook Fan page and a Twitter link: http://www.hrwatchestheoffice.com/
• Twitter accounts abound – Over the past year, I’ve had the opportunity to consult with a few different agencies and meet various client-side contacts. Among them are companies who have made keeping a Twitter account a requirement. It’s an interesting means of sharing and gathering insights, showing leadership and expertise, and even finding good talent for new hires.
• A Facebook Page for a cause – Over the holidays, I received an invitation to become a fan of the “Wish for a Dish” campaign on Facebook. The digital agency who developed it promised to donate money to a local soup kitchen, in exchange for becoming a fan, as well as sharing a holiday wish on their page’s wall. It was an easy engagement, and perfect timing around the holidays. And this wasn’t for a client – yet it made for a terrific, future case study (e.g., number of fans, PR generated, etc.).
• And lastly…Proprietary POVs – I just love when marketing organizations – agencies, research companies, etc. – create and share free white papers. And what better way to demonstrate smarts in the social world than to publish about it. Create a how-to guide, make-up your own industry awards, or conduct a research study about social marketing and its impact on a particular target group. One of my favorite examples came from a hot social shop last year. They took all they knew about social marketing, and developed a guide in best practices. It was well written, authoritative, and easily downloaded or shared. I had the opportunity to speak with this team last summer, and, indeed, this guide generated tons of new business leads and press buzz for this shop.

These are just a few examples of the social steps an agency can take to make great leaps forward in gaining experience, and truly demonstrating their social marketing expertise.

What examples have you seen, demonstrating good and bad practices in social media?

Popularity: 12% [?]