Top ten ideas around launching a social media training program. Majority of these ideas were generated from launching and managing Dell's Social Media and Community University (SMaC U). Presentation on Tuesday, December 10th at SocialMedia.org #BrandOnly Summit in Disney, Florida. (Yes, the weather is awesome...)

1. Top Ten Ideas: How to run a social media
training program
Liz Brown Bullock, CEO Social Arts & Science Institute
(SASI)
@lizbbullock
Liz Brown Bullock (LinkedIn)
#BrandsOnly
December 10th , 2013

2. #1 Build a business case and sell it in…
Executives are critical to the success of your social training program
• Dell customers were out there: 10K+ conversations a day
• Dell employees were out there: 400+ mix active employees
Image source: http://irsmartt.com/2012/07/fortune-500-ceossocial-media/

3. Tools to help identify active employees
www.socialook.com
• Most influential
employees
• Department
• Latest activity
• #hashtags
• content
www.followerwonk.com

4. #2 Identify business objectives
• What business objectives are you trying to solve?
• Social media training objectives should ladder to company business
objectives.
(sample)
Customer Service
All employees
Sales
Marketing
Protect the brand online
Increase sales
Cost Savings
Customer Insights
Deepen customer
relationships
Lead Generation
Decrease online
customer complaints
Increase traffic to
website
Amplify our brand story
Thought Leadership
Insights to improve
products and services
Cost efficient marcom
vehicle

5. #3 Build training content tied to objectives
Risk
Mitigation
Activate
employees to
be a better
business
•
•
•
•
•
•
Policy (Dell Principles)
FTC training
Examples of how to disclose
Risk Mitigation
#iwork4Dell
Employee roles
Resources, best practices
•
•
•
•
•
Actionable content
Scenario training (driver’s seat)
Activation to be a more
Provide “to do” list
Certification program
effective business
Survey: “Is content actionable?”

6. #4 Balance between the “what” and “how”
What
•
Relevant strategies and framework to
stand the “test of time”
•
Company’s POV on best practices
•
Determine “must know” content
•
Tips on personal brand
•
Actionable training content
How
•
In-person, online, mobile, etc.
•
Determine tone
•
Scenarios to teach judgment
•
Writing exercises
•
Create excitement and dialogues
6

7. #5 Package your program
• McDonald’s Training Center of
Excellence: Hamburger University
• Sprint Ninja Program with top
ambassadors being “black belts”
• Dell’s Social Media and Community
University: SMaC U
Ex: Dell SMaC U Certification Program
•
•
•
You don’t know SMaC. Until
you have been Trained by
SMaC U
Electronic and printable certificates sent to
employees
Certified employees received e-signatures to
tout certification
Employees avatars and Twitter backgrounds
7

8. EMPLOYEE BEHAVIOR CHANGE
#6 Tie the right metrics to the journey
Participation Results:
• Total Registered
• Total Attended
• Class Fill Rate
• Unique Attendees
• Average Classes
Attended
• Professional
Certification
• Spokesperson
Certification
• % by team/org
Performance Results:
• Survey data
• Anecdotal feedback
• Comparison of
attendance per
course
• % of participation
hours vs. other
training courses
Adoption Results:
• Total Brand
Ambassadors
• Total Employees
Representing Online
• Total Social Handle
Requests
(Governance)
• Increase % of
amplified content
about brand
• Decrease in rogue
social accounts
• Decrease in
employee social booboo’s (adopting best
practices)
• Increase in blogs
Business Results:
• Increase in
traffic to website
• Increase in
earned media
value
• Increased reach
• Improved SOV
• Effective
Acquisition play
• Revenue impact
• SEO
Results
Adoption
Awareness
TIME
8

9. #7 Use executives to drive program awareness
• Launched Unconference with Dell’s
top 200+ social media employees to
announce SMaC U
• Michael Dell participated
• CMO provided intro video
• VP shared on internal Dell blog
launch of SMaC University
9

10. #8 Continue the conversation & ride the bike
• Learning continues after employees leave the classroom…

11. #9 Co-create with your best employees
• Ask employees where they have
questions and gaps
• Use rock star employees as examples in
training content
• Pilot training classes with employees
Why not crowd source? Use the wisdom of your employees…

12. #10 Identify & reward small courageous steps
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Product samples
Networking events
Inside out Speakers
Awards – you tube
socks
Certificates
Emails from VPs
Blog post

13. Top Ten Ideas:
#1: Build a business case and sell it in…
#2: Identify business objectives
#3: Build training content tied to objectives
#4: Balance between the “what” and “how”
#5: Package your program
#6: Tie the right metrics to the journey
#7: Use executives to drive program awareness
#8: Continue the conversation & ride the bike
#9: Co-create with your best employees
#10: Identify & reward small courageous steps

14. Employee Manifesto: Gautam Ghosh
http://www.gautamblogs.com/2010/05/social-businessemployee-manifesto.html?m=1
14

15. • Thank You