American Gas - April 2014 - (Page 31)
want to be reading on social media. Humans connect emotionally to narratives,
other people, and pictures. Tell stories, not
facts. Having a robust content strategy will
guide almost every step of social journey.
Who do you want to be and why? What
channels and content will get you there?
Remember, more social channels do not
necessarily equate to more followers or
greater customer engagement. Pick channels carefully, don't overextend, and always
ask, "What is the benefit in this channel
for our overall strategy?"
Figure out early how you will measure
success. Measurement sophistication varies by utility, but in general our industry
is in its infancy. For example, having more
Leveraged improperly, social runs the risk
of creating as many problems as it solves.
However, if implemented to address
specific goals and tactical needs that feed
into a bigger strategy, it can be a highly effective (if not critical) addition. At its core,
it is just another channel to leverage.
Use segmentation wisely. Where possible,
localize your social presence and provide
targeted and relevant content to those
communities/stakeholder audiences. However, individual utility programs should
not have unique social sites to promote
their efforts. Except in truly exceptional
cases, the property won't get sustainable
followership, the program manager won't
be able to maintain compelling content
SociAl iS A tool within A lArger StrAtegy.
leverAged improperly, it runS the riSk of
creAting AS mAny proBlemS AS it SolveS.
social followers does not necessarily mean
you are successful. The quality of your
followers often matters more than the
quantity. Are critical local stakeholders,
like media, politicians/staffers, or community leaders following your feed? How
do they engage with you? Additionally, the
ROI of utility social does not need to be
"soft." Unlike outside industries, few utilities invest the necessary resources to link
social outreach to program, product, and
service conversion rates. Don't be afraid to
attach dollar values to social performance
metrics. If nothing else, it makes for an
interesting and important internal debate
on all communications and marketing
channels. And unlike an ad in the local paper, social provides real statistics on who,
where, and when various parties engaged
(and didn't) with your content.
Don't expect social to be a magic bullet.
"Success" is a loaded word in social media,
and unfortunately it is hard to measure.
Experienced marketing and communications professionals understand that social
is simply a tool within a larger strategy.
flow/interest, and will do more harm than
good to utility goals over time.
Stop being scared. Not trying new approaches for fear of the unknown makes
utility social one-dimensional and stale.
Try things! Fear and inaction are not
strategies. Social media channels have
repeatedly delivered solid value, without
any of the dire predictions materializing.
With today's consumers, doing nothing
has significant potential risks as well.
By its nature, social will never be
simple, wholly clear, or clean. But it is a
powerful tool with immense strategic and
tactical potential. Be thoughtful, pragmatic, and bullish on social media. And
most important, remember to be flexible.
Change is one thing the utility industry
can count on these days, so continue to
evolve with the technology and times. u
Matthew Burks is a director of strategic
relations and utility strategy at E Source.
He provides guidance on the convergence of
technology, society, business, and policy.
next month
investment review
From the wellhead to the pipeline to storage to a field of game-changing end-use
applications--such as at-home refueling
stations for natural gas powered vehicles-investment opportunities abound in
America's high-growth natural gas sector.
As the Gas Utility index Fund (developed
by the AGA Finance committee), the only
mutual fund investing specifically in gas
utility companies, turns 25, we speak
with fund managers, analysts, and other
experts to learn about the opportunities
at hand-and the critical role investors
will play in fueling America's energy and
economic future. Plus:
* Oliver Wyman's Gerry Yurkevicz
discusses why small utilities are looking
at m&A.
* Mercer takes a look at how-and
why-larger utilities are turning to joint
ventures instead of m&A-and what
ensures JV success.
operations: Better and Better
May marks AGA's Operations Conference, and this year marks the 21st anniversary of AGA's Best Practices/Benchmarking program in operations. We'll
talk to utilities about what they've learned
from their peers about system reliability,
safety, emergency response, damage
prevention, and dozens of other topics.
Buyer's guide preview
Data Acquisition and integrity
information services and systems
april 2014 AmericAn GAs
31
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Gas - April 2014
Contents
American Gas - April 2014
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