15 Things to Consider Before You Dive In:

Businesses are entering the social media space in throes, and with good reason- the opportunity and electricity surrounding it is palpable. However, in their eagerness to join the new media party, many neglect to ask the right questions prior to jumping in. For the purpose of this post, I’ve collected a list of ’social media tips and truisms’ I believe to be helpful not only to folks who are considering taking the plunge, but also for those seeking direction with their existing efforts.

1. Before you take action, ask yourself the following:
   • Why social media? (It seems an obvious question; nevertheless, it’s amazing how many organizations fail to ask it.)
   • Who are you trying to reach? Who is your target audience?
   • Where is the said audience congregating online?
   • What exactly do you hope to accomplish through your social media initiatives?

   The answers to these questions will serve as the foundation and building blocks for your strategy.

2. Resist the temptation to scramble to grab any and every bright and shiny new media tool that crosses your path.
   Think carefully about how a particular social media platform will serve you, and decide whether it’s relevant to your audience. If you’re undecided on a specific service, it’s okay to experiment– as long as you resolve to put forth a fair and sustained effort throughout your decision-making process. As you become acclimated to various social media, devote the first few weeks to listening and observing. This will allow you to familiarize yourself with the vernacular and etiquette specific to each service.
3. Align your social media strategy with your PR, traditional media, and advertising efforts.
   Ultimately, social technology should not be the quintessential element of your marketing endeavors. It should work in conjunction with your existing PR and communications programs, as well as with any direct, online, or other various traditional forms of marketing and advertising you have in place.
4. Don’t go it alone– social media should be a team effort.
   Twitter applications such as CoTweet do a great job of facilitating a collaborative approach, and Facebook allows you to set up multiple administrators for fan pages. Further, setting up a rotation for employee blog posts will diversify your content and keep it fresh.
5. Understand that adopting new media is a significant shift in how you handle your business.
   Communicate the importance of your entrance into this space to your employees. Depending on the size of your organization, you may want to consider implementing a set of social media guidelines/policies. You can reference a good list of example company guidelines here.
6. Don’t be a ‘dabbler’.
   Truly commit and adhere to your social media calendar and/ or schedule. Generate an editorial calendar for your blog, and structure a plan for how often you will tweet, post to Facebook, participate in LinkedIn discussions, and upload videos to Youtube, for example.
7. Be patient.
   Realize that social media is a process, not an event. It takes time to build a quality following. Seth Godin explains this in his concise style here.
8. Creativity is key.
   One creative idea has the power to take on a life of its own and reach millions. Many of you are familiar with Blendtec’s ‘will it blend‘ viral campaign, as well as the Bensons for Beds ‘Mattress Dominoes’ Youtube video that landed nearly a million views. Both concepts are simple, creative, and entertaining.
9. Reveal your personality– this is your opportunity to touch your audience and remind them that there are humans behind the website.
   The Mayo Clinic demonstrates this point exquisitely in this video. In it, an elderly couple playing the piano is captured on video in the atrium of the Mayo Clinic. To date, the video has over 5.5 million Youtube views, and the couple was featured on Good Morning America. As a whole, the healthcare industry is slow to embrace social media, but medical facilities like The Mayo Clinic and Emory Healthcare understand the importance of humanizing their brands through these channels.
10. Combine your SEO efforts with your social media strategy.
    When Google and Bing announced that they would incorporate social platforms into search, it was a major turning point. Now it’s easier to be found organically via blog entries, facebook posts, Twitter updates, and bookmarking sites, creating an even more compelling argument for social media.
11. Integrate new media tools and make it easy for people to find you.
    The most effective social media strategies have a streamlined flow; for example, your blog readership should be able to find you on Twitter, Facebook, etc. Your Facebook fans should be able to find you on Twitter, and vice versa. Additionally, seize any and every opportunity available to post your social media handles. Consider including them in your email signature line and on your business cards.
12. Acknowledge the power of new media for B2B marketers.
    Many people make the false assumption that social media marketing is effective in the B2C arena alone. According to Forrester Research, a staggering 91% of B2B decision-makers are utilizing social media, and 69% are leveraging it for business purposes. Christina Kerley, a well-known new media B2B marketing evangelist, created this informative slideshow that I reference often in B2B marketing discussions.
13. Recognize the inherent beauty of social technology: with it, consumers are empowered, engaged, and valued.
    Today, consumers are increasingly adept at tuning out broadcasted methods of advertising. John Greening, a professor at Northwestern University and 27-year veteran of advertising, has a simple yet poignant saying: the market has moved from “find me, sell me’” to “know me, help me.” The most successful brands talk to their audience, as opposed to talking at them. Coca-Cola’s Vitamin Water is a prime example of a brand that understands this paradigm. Their interactive, crowdsourced Facebook ‘flavorcreator‘ campaign invited fans to create and submit their own Vitamin Water drink flavor; the winning flavor will be released in March of this year.
14. Don’t fall into the trap of duplicating your website content through social media platforms.
    Remember that this presents a valuable opportunity to build relationships and convert listeners and readers into participants. When your audience knows they’re being heard, they know they’re being valued. When they know they’re being valued, their relationship with your organization transforms; they become true proponents of your brand.
15. My favorite topic: “What’s the ROI?”
    Whether your business targets businesses or consumers, social media offers an unprecedented opportunity to connect, converse, relate, and engage with your audience. Still, some remain skeptical and fixate on the question: “What’s the ROI?”
     
    I could tear right into this subject and talk about how ROI isn’t necessarily the best way to measure your social media results, but I’ll expand upon this topic in a future blog post. For brevity’s sake, I’ll ask you to take a few minutes and watch this video titled Socialnomics: ROI by the author of Socialnomics, Eric Qualman. It provides great case studies, statistics, and comments on ROI as it relates to social media:

And now I’d love to hear from you– have you embraced social media in your business? If so, what experiences have you had thus far? If not, what’s holding you back?

*Emory Healthcare is a client of SolDesign Company.