Businesses are jumping on the social media bandwagon. Make that bandwagons. We’re talking 500+ social networks and growing. Many organizations are turning to social media hubs to manage their online presence. But how do you know if your business needs one?
What IS a social media hub?
In general, a social hub is one page on a organization’s website where the content from all of its social media pages is aggregated. It gives customers a snapshot of the brand’s activity on each social network.
Examples of social media hubs
There are examples of social media hubs in all sorts of industries.
Information Technology
Dell’s IT Social Hub is a great example of how to effectively aggregate numerous social accounts. The hub features 10 channels and can be filtered by market segment and channel.
Government
In recent years, the White House has become a model when it comes to using social media to engage with citizens. Its social hub allows citizens to view 10 of its networks on one page.
Education
Millennials are the digital natives. They expect to interact with brands on social media, so it’s no surprise that universities are embracing the concept of social hubs. Tufts University features 7 networks on its hub.
Financial Services Firms
Because of the compliance regulations set forth by FINRA and the SEC, financial services firms are more cautious when it comes to social networking. Though we haven’t come across a “hub” in the financial services sector, Ameriprise has a Connect with Us page. There, Ameriprise provides links to social media channels AND outlines its social media guidelines.
Determining if a social media hub is right for your organization
Social hubs are an easy way for your customers to find and follow you across social platforms. They also provide a link between your brand and external marketing channels.
But they’re not for all businesses. If you’re not active on multiple social networks, or if you post the same content across different platforms, then a hub may do more harm than good.
What do you think? Does your organization have a social media hub?
