Guest Interview: Social Media Strategist David Griner
I’m very happy to share this guest interview with David Griner, a social media strategist for Luckie & Company and the mastermind behind The Social Path blog. Also a contributor to Adweek’s AdFreak.com, he has done social media work and training for Little Debbie, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama, to name but a few of his clients.
I was particularly interested in the role AGENCIES play in working with (or on behalf of) their clients engaging in social media projects.
Q: When doing outreach to possible online community leaders and other individual people within a client’s target audience, how/when does the agency disclose they’re a hired gun vs. the actual client? Does it matter?
David: I think it only matters to the extent that you want the recipient to know that you’re legitimate. I generally just say I’m a social media coordinator for a certain business, then my agency info is at the bottom. I’m rarely the first marketer to ever contact a blogger, so they usually understand the role that agencies and consultants play.
Q: When is it acceptable to write/post material such as blog posts or Twitter updates for a client? Traditional media has ghost-writing, but is this acceptable in social media?
David: Personally, I think there’s nothing wrong with starting a blog or Twitter feed with client approval and helping launch it with content. It helps establish a tone, frequency standards, response policies, etc. But you definitely always want the goal to be that you’re phasing in the client as the content producer. A big part of that relationship is helping clients figure out how they’ll staff these things. They look to us for a realistic expectation of time and workload. I think this training and structuring is a far greater challenge than the fun work of simply maintaining a feed.
Q: How does an agency respond when a client replies, “Social media tools are free. Why do I need an agency anymore?”
David: My agency has been pretty clear that, when it comes to social media, we’re not in the content management business. It’s simply not an efficient use of our clients’ time and money. We see our role is two-part: First, help strategize and develop social media tools that are right for each specific client. Second, work closely with the client to incorporate these tools into their corporate structure and strategic goals.
Is it possible to do all this without an agency, consultant, etc.? Absolutely. But the company will have to draw the resources from somewhere, and turning to someone experienced with social media (and trustworthy) generally saves a business from a lot of headache and false starts.
If a client is shutting the door on your agency because they don’t feel it’s worth bringing you in to help with social media, it’s probably a sign of a bigger problem with the relationship. In my experience, clients have generally seen it as an affordable investment with an agency they trust to look out for their interests long-term.
Q: What advice would you give to an ad agency or PR firm about using social media to build and nourish a brand vs. trying to maintain control?
David: I feel strongly that social media channels should be in the clients’ hands. It makes them more effective, more honest and more influential. That said, I think these channels will prove to be vital marketing and PR tools for agencies down the line. I think you can nourish a brand and maintain control of its social media presence in the short term, but without corporate buy-in for the long haul, we’re just playing with toys.
Q: Finally, if you were a business executive interested in social media, what would you be looking for from your agency?
David: I’d want someone who was light on ego, heavy on smarts and experienced with social media from both ends of the marketing equation. Most of all I’d be looking for someone with accountability, someone in it to help my business succeed and not just fishing for a case study.
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