Social media often fails to deliver on the promise. The reasons vary from unrealistic expectations to inconsistent strategy execution to MIA communities. Knowing why a strategy fails is the first step in finding the best networking solutions for your business.
Successful social media strategies are unique to the companies that create them. There are some universal truths that apply, but each business has a unique corporate culture that defines how people react to different stimulus. The competition between Apple and Microsoft provides a perfect (although extreme) example. Everyone with any exposure to electronic media can tell you the difference between Mac and PC people. The companies' marketing messages have to reflect those differences to be effective.
If you aren't seeing the results you expect, your voice and appearance may be the issue. Social media messages have to be true to your corporate culture, too. How would Apple's community respond if they posted content that sounds like Microsoft? Rebellion is the word that immediately comes to mind. The same is true if Microsoft started chattering about being cool. It confuses people when companies change their voice. Confused people are very predictable in their behavior. They don't respond to the marketing messages because they are too busy processing the difference between reality and expectations.
Your customers have been trained to listen for your voice and look for your likeness.
They expect the same (or very similar) sound and appearance across channels. While social media is different from other channels because it allows you to show different sides of your corporate personality, showing up with a completely new look is a bad idea.
If your company needs a personality makeover, take it slow. Start with the voice that people expect and evolve into the social image you want to share.