I am working with a client that is really old school when the want to send out a communication, participate in an event or even have a conference call. They use the old ABC Rule.
What is the ABC Rule?
The ABC Rule is a way to make sure that all of your important communications mean something and have the desired effect.
This is how the letters break down:
- A- Audience
- B- Behavior
- C-Content
- D- Design
- E-Evaluate
These guys are tech but understand that sometimes, those who came before us hit on something that is evergreen, lasts forever and is just good common sense.
In preparing some communications for an upcoming event using their method, I got to thinking that this is actually a really good way to keep a handle on your social media communications.
I think that it is worth noting that this does not have to be formal and in print for the simple Tweet or Facebook post but it may be worth it to write it out for larger communications or for a campaign.
The ABC Strategy for Social Media Communication
A – Audience
- Who is the communication or communications targeting. Is it a returning attendee, a first timer, potential sponsors, etc.
B – Behavior
- What do you want this audience to do once they receive the communication. Do you want them to share it, click it or simply be informed?
C – Content
- What is the content of the post or Tweet. What are you going to say, will there be links and can you leave out unnecessary words.
D – Design
- What is the design of the communication? Will it be a Tweet, a Facebook post, a blog post or all of the above?
E – Evaluate
- Once you have sent this communication, what happened? Can you measure the results to see what your audience did? Did they click the link, did they register? If you did not get the desired response, you can go back and tweak the content and try again.
Beyond the individual post
The ABC Method can be used as an overall strategy. For example, an entire campaign targeting first time attendees can be laid out into a series of Tweets and Posts aimed at getting these folks engaged, involved and registered.
I like the ABC method.
The ABC Method It is something that I have not thought of in years (specifically). Yes, I think that we all use something similar but this is a great way to get people thinking that every communication has impact and every communication can be important if we take the time to make it important.
The ABC method is great for associations and companies that are just getting into the social game because it makes them think about each communication as a tool, not just a message.
In the case of a simple Tweet or Facebook post, I will say it again, I don’t think that this needs to be a written strategy. I think that you can just use this as a mind checklist before you hit the share button so that you know what YOU expect from what you send.
Give it a try on something, it only takes a second to do and you may be shocked when you find that you were missing a letter from your alphabet.
Image: Shanubi
