Select and Implement a Social Media Management Platform

Vendor Evaluation

Select and Implement a Social Media Management Platform

Member Challenge

  • The proliferation of social media networks, customer data, and use cases has made ad hoc social media management challenging.
  • Many organizations struggle with shadow IT when it comes to technology enablement for social media; SMMP fragmentation leads to increased costs and no uniformity in enterprise social media management capabilities.

Our Advice

Critical Insight

  • SMMP selection must be driven by your overall customer experience management strategy; link your SMMP selection to your organization’s CXM framework.
  • Shadow IT will dominate if IT does not step in. Even more so than other areas, SMMP selection is rife with shadow IT.
  • Ensure strong points of integration between SMMP and other software such as CRM. SMMPs can contribute to a unified, 360-degree customer view.

Impact and Result

  • The value proposition of SMMPs revolves around enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of social media. Using an SMMP to manage social media is considerably more cost effective than ad hoc (manual) management.
  • IT must partner with other departments (e.g. Marketing) to successfully evaluate, select, and implement an SMMP. Before selecting an SMMP, the organization must have a solid overall strategy for leveraging social media in place. If IT does not work as a trusted advisor to the business, shadow IT in social media management will be rampant.

Research & Tools

Start here – read the Executive Brief

Read our concise Executive Brief to find out why you should implement an SMMP, review Info-Tech’s methodology, and understand the four ways we can support you in completing this project.

Name Actions
Select and Implement a Social Media Management Platform – Executive Brief
Select and Implement a Social Media Management Platform – Sample
Select and Implement a Social Media Management Platform – Phases 1-3

1. Develop a technology enablement approach

Conduct a maturity assessment to determine whether a dedicated SMMP is right for your organization.

Name Actions
Select and Implement a Social Media Management Platform – Phase 1: Develop a Technology Enablement Approach for Social Media
Social Media Maturity Assessment Tool
Social Media Opportunity Assessment Tool
SMMP Use-Case Fit Assessment Tool

2. Select an SMMP

Use the Vendor Landscape findings and project guidance to develop requirements for your SMMP RFP, and evaluate and shortlist vendors based on your expressed requirements.

Name Actions
Select and Implement a Social Media Management Platform – Phase 2: Select an SMMP
SMMP Vendor Shortlist & Detailed Feature Analysis Tool
SMMP Vendor Demo Script
SMMP RFP Template
SMMP RFP Evaluation and Scoring Tool
Vendor Response Template

3. Review implementation considerations

Even a solution that is a perfect fit for an organization will fail to generate value if it is not properly implemented or measured. Conduct the necessary planning before implementing your SMMP.

Name Actions
Select and Implement a Social Media Management Platform – Phase 3: Review Implementation Considerations
Social Media Steering Committee Charter Template
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