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

https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aga/20151201
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