A good social media strategy is organic by nature; it's often driven by the needs and sentiments of communities - and not directly by the brand.
This is according to Lana Strydom, head of digital marketing and media at FNB, who says social media allows for high levels of engagement across various areas, including marketing (awareness, information and discovery), sales, support (education, feedback, advice and complaints) and transacting (social commerce and loyalty).
FNB's social media programme aims to build sustainable relationships with its customer base, which, in turn, will give it the ability to tap into the social graph that connects people to each other, she says.
When looking at usage statistics for the various social networks, FNB identified the opportunity to extend its digital footprint in this space, Strydom says. She explains that, from this point, the organisation had to establish what role this particular channel would play in its overall business and channel mix.
Strydom says FNB selected a few core platforms, which are actively managed across marketing, sales, support and commerce, and its approach to these channels will adapt as the communities that use them evolve and as the platforms change.
“All our channels have a specific role to play in our customers' lives; customers have personal preferences that are driven by their circumstances and life stages,” Strydom says. Social media, from FNB's perspective, is a complementary channel to those already in operation, such as call centres, online, mobile and branches, according to Strydom.
Strydom is a speaker at ITWeb's Social Media Summit, where she will share insights on how FNB built sustainable relationships with its customers through social media. For more information about the event, click here.