The activities of a company not only have an effect on profitability, but on the environment, on the development of its employees who are constantly trained to ensure their employability (even if the company stops operating), on the development of suppliers, customers , Distributors and the community in general.
It is for this need to respond to this multiplicity of factors that the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has emerged.
Corporate social responsibility implies that the company does business in a responsible way, that it is actively involved in the community in which it is part, enriching it with its knowledge, to analyze the impact it generates for the quality and utility of the products it offers, By the remuneration paid to its employees, by the internal climate that is lived, by the tax contribution to the treasury, by the promotion of the communities with which it is linked, etc., among other activities of responsible and lasting bonding that go beyond mere activities Of philanthropy.
The corporate website and the sustainability report (or Social Report or Social Balance), traditional channels of dissemination of the socially responsible actions of companies, with the rise of social networks, stopped being the main channel of contact with interested people In the socially responsible work of the organization, transforming it into the main channel of contact with its interested public.
With the growth of social networks, stakeholders or stakeholders do not expect as they have been passively told, but are more critical and have more channels of communication to interact with peers, exerting pressure, which can be positive Or negative.
The round-trip that social networks allow and the possibility of reaching broad and diverse audiences to disseminate, promote and encourage their socially responsible actions has relegated to a secondary level the formal, official and static information that can be found in the channels before Cited.
Benefits of social networks for a correct CSR
Social networks are communication tools that are characterized by their immediacy and their virality, particularities that must be taken into account with rigor when considering a strategy of social communication, making public the responsible culture of the company, approaching in a simple way To its target audiences.
They allow the conversation with the public of interest, in a communication process that stops being a monologue and the company knows that what it says or proposes can be answered, approved or disqualified quickly and easily.
At the same time, the company ensures that the message will have greater credibility than in any other medium, since it is located on the same step as the user, and invites the user to participate and propose, thus creating an interesting link.
Finally, people can become fans of the brand and make known their interest to other people and friends, with the function Share, which makes present the socially responsible message of the company on the user’s own personal page, thus rendering The messages of that company.
How to define a CSR strategy in social networks
Putting a digital marketing strategy in social networks, with the goal of influencing positively, positioning the brand in its socially responsible actions, and increasing its visibility, requires accomplishing certain steps.
In order for the CSR strategy in social networks to be successful, the strategy must clearly state the objectives to be achieved and select the networks that most aggregate users in its sector.
These goals, as in any other area of the company, must be measurable, add value to the brand, increase its socially responsible visibility, in a context based on the dialogue between the company and its interest group.
Secondly, we must analyze the group of interest to which the company is directed, evaluating the activities they carry out in social networks, which uses, with what frequency, the reasons. In this way you can focus the activity of the company to potentially important groups.
Having a clear objective and profile of people to be addressed, the company should select the media that best fit its overall strategy, the use it will give each of them, the content to be disseminated and the tone that Will use in the communication in each case, since each means has its own particularity.
It must be borne in mind that each community is different, and each has unique goals: Effective campaigns understand community interests and rituals and learn how to resolve those desires.
The importance of the community manager as a diffuser of the company’s social responsibility
A community manager is responsible for creating and managing the company’s participation in previously chosen social networks, with the aim of disseminating its activities of Social Responsibility and generating engagement with its public, seeking in each intervention to spread the socially responsible actions of the company At the same time reach all the interest groups of the company.
A good community manager listens to the “noise” generated by the brand in social networks and its action tries to answer questions such as the following: what does my interest groups talk about ?, what interests the fans and interest groups Of the company ?, what contents are more predisposed to share with other users ?, Do you really know the socially responsible action of the company ?, who are the main influencers with which the company should develop a long-term relationship ?
This work involves responding to questions and comments online immediately, putting the brand face on social platforms and establishing relationships, positioning in each communication the values of the company.
conclusion
For these reasons, social networks are essential means for communication and interaction with all stakeholders with which the company is linked, since they are the most adapted to transmit this type of messages, mainly by the democratization of the interactions carried out In these virtual communities.
Through social networks, the process of spreading the socially responsible actions of the company is accelerated, greater visibility is achieved, it is possible to exchange ideas and experiences with stakeholders and gain interaction. Correctly used, positive results will be given sooner or later.