10 Ways to Get Serious About Social Media

This post (and comment contents) has become one of more favorites on the subject.

And like Mitch suggested, consistency is key. Its a process, like branding, and not a campaign or one off.

There’s a recent article stating;

“…over 75 percent of Fortune 1000 companies with Web sites will have undertaken some kind of online social-networking initiative for marketing or customer relations purposes. But, he added in an interview with CNET News, 50 percent of those campaigns will be classified as failures.”

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-10058509-36.html

Hopefully this is the spot to bring it up.
any theories on why this might be?

While discussing with others, one thought was many of these companies might be using a half-hearted effort and not applying the necessary resources.

I believe this might be part of it, along with a lack of consistency, and most of the points above.
.-= online branding blog´s last blog ..Looking Forward =-.

Great post, Amber. #8) Absolutely, long-term. This is fundamental change in how business is done – marketing, customer service, product development, collaboration… communication. #10) Not only should you not be paralyzed by mistakes, you should expect them. There is no ‘sure thing’, no flawless expert and the medium is still nascent. If you’re not making mistakes you’re not pushing yourself enough.
.-= Lynnelle´s last blog ..Social Media Marketing & the Five Phases of a Sale =-.

hmmm. wonder why Sean’s picture is there instead of mine. quite the surprise!
.-= Lynnelle´s last blog ..Social Media Marketing & the Five Phases of a Sale =-.

I’d say really interact with your community one on one, a la Gary Vaynerchuk. I’m asking questions and finding good resources based on requests for my facebook fans. Be helpful, be a filter of quality information. Many people get twitter and facebook pages and still broadcast their message (or get someone else to do it), and try to automate everything.

Fully engage and interact with your audience would be my suggested.
.-= Will Kriski´s last blog ..It’s 2010 – Time to Take Back Control =-.

Hi Amber,

Great post! I echo Mark’s sentiment above. Companies should be OK with looking for help when they need it. Happy 2010.

AJ Gerritson

I agree with the above posts about jumping into the world of social media, even if the idea is terrifying.. As a freelance marketer I try to stay as informed as possible about marketing programs that will benefit my clients and social media is becoming a very worthwhile PR/Marketing plan. Many small business owners, such as myself, want to handle all aspects of their business but hiring a marketing & social media specialist that’s geared towards small business owners will definitely help businesses succeed in today’s ever changing internet based world. Small businesses helping other small businesses will change our landscape forever…

Thanks for the great article… Have a great 2010!!

Kathryn J

Amber knows what she is talking about. I love this post. If you want to jump in, please do. Help is all around, you are not on your own. Don’t forget that social media is a team sport.

Excellent advice Amber…kind of like a forceful nudge.
I would add that businesses need to approach social media realistically. They need to have a better understanding of the resources (time/expertise) needed for social media success. Many jump in without strategy and are misinformed about the “real” amount of time that engaging, active social media takes!

Thanks for this stimulating post, Amber. Great resources and terrific food for thought…and action!

Two other ways I see to get serious:
#12: Start thinking like a business person and link your social marketing efforts to your organizations business objectives – Social media and marketing tools are important in today’s evolving landscape, but they are just that, i.e., tools. The key is to select the appropriate tools and tactics that align with the fundamental objectives your organization is trying to achieve (in that vein, social is like all other marketing tactics). Just as the best way to ensure long term success is to make sure your social marketing efforts are in lock step with business objectives, the fastest way to kill forward progress is to fail to align your social tactics with objectives/strategies.

#13: Stop pretending that social media/marketing is free and recognize that you’ll have to pay for it one way or another – Some companies/organizations keep trying to believe that social media is free. That’s wishful, and wasteful, thinking. Nothing is free, and if you’re serious about integrating social tools into your business efforts, then stop trying to believe that social media is free. It’s time to deal with the reality that there will be internal costs, external costs, technology costs, etc. to plan and execute a strategically smart social plan. So, sharpen your pencil and budget for it.

Again, thanks for the GREAT, post!

Cheers,
Ted

Well, these are very good tips. Not clear about the trends of social media in the new year 2010. “Approach social media methodically” this will work, I hope.

Yes, great points. Social Media is not a replacement for a business plan and should not be used as a substitute. Thanks for sharing!
.-= Yosef Solomon´s last blog ..Gravity Summit 2010 =-.

Excellent points. #11 is dead on as well. I’m going to add an addendum to #13 posted by Ted.

Not only does a good social media strategy include money, but look into the value of the branding of developing experiences that get people interacting with your company for longer stints of time.

Creating experiences that are designed specifically to your target audience costs money, time and creativity and how much you spend can generally have a direct impact on what kind of experience is going to be developed.

As time moves on, the excuse of being ripped off by a snake oil company isn’t going to fly, they’re preying on your ignorance, and that you worked with them only goes to show that you did not do your due diligence in research before signing a contract. There are plenty of talented people in this field who make it easy for you to find them, and there are a lot of resources available for free that are easy to find.

By spending just an afternoon of research time, you can get at least a basic idea of what works and what doesn’t so when someone says “we’re going to get you on these platforms” (classic snake oil pitch) you can say “yup, but what are we going to do once we’re there? How are you going to bring in people who are going to be interested in me? What steps are you going to take to make this actually worth my while? If they can’t answer questions like this in a way that makes sense to you, don’t work with them.

It’s like going to an AD agency and asking

“How are we going to make this commercial”

And they answer:

“With a camera.”

I am finding this blog very interesting.
Any Independent Artists reading this
should definitely check out Grind Stop http://www.grindstop.com
have really useful tools for promoting your music. that will make your music life so much easier.

Thanks Amber. Great post. As a Social Media trainer, it is music to my ears! Like most of the followup comments as well. I have now listed you as a Role Model to follow in my Twitter account. Keep up your great work.

Thank you for your explanation. There really useful information.

Fabulous! Thanks for a great read.