Cheltenham social media strategist Jonathan Pollinger of Intranet Future is advising local businesses with great effect. I quizzed him about the criteria people should use when choosing a social media consultant.
What should I look for in a social media consultant or adviser?
First of all look at their social networks, particularly their LinkedIn profile. If a consultant hasn’t got a strong set of ‘recommendations’ on LinkedIn then it’s time to walk away. Actually, run!
Check out their other social profiles. It’s not just about the number of Followers (Twitter) and Fans (Facebook) someone has, but if they are claiming to be a Twitter expert, and they have only 20 followers, then clearly there is a problem.
Ask the consultant for case studies of successful projects. Demand testimonials from previous customers. It’s quite easy to sort the wheat from the chaff.
Can you share any success stories from your own social media workshops?
Here in Cheltenham The Daffodil Restaurant came to a workshop and it has subsequently made very good use of Twitter for customer service and even for taking bookings. The guys there are clever, they’ve created an event—‘Martini Mondays’—to generate some activity on what was previously a quiet day. It’s resulted in a doubling of sales on that day.
A photographer who came on my Twitter workshop has brought in a lot of business as a result of building awareness for his services.
What about larger companies… can social media work for bigger brands?
I recently did an in-house workshop with Wadworth (the Brewers). It has since gone on to embrace social media in a big way, and is using Facebook to promote a number of brands. Wadworth pubs are also now encouraged to use social media.
Intranet Future runs public workshops and in-house training sessions to help businesses get started on social platforms. Contact Jonathan Pollinger here.
Hi Mick, Thanks for these points. I’d like to add to this that the consultant’s background and non-social media experience is important too. Social Media success is so reliant on other business functions – good customer service, ability to estimate and meet new demand, clarity on what you hope to achieve with the activity – that working with someone who has a strong background in business is important. I also think personality is key too. If you’re going to be working closely with them then it’s important that they listen, are genuinely interested in you and your business, and that you like them! Thanks to Social Media new clients do have the opportunity to check us out online before taking us on, so it’s a great chance to make sure that they like what they see. 🙂 All the best, Paula
Hi Paula, and thanks so much for this, I couldn’t agree more.
There is an interesting, extended moment in the sales process, after you’ve been recommended, when a potential client checks you out online for credibility. That is terribly important to everything, but not as important as the crucial, much shorter moment of the one-to-one meeting!
Cheers for now, Mick