Social Media Homework

Back in January, Monique was asked to impart her social media wisdom on Monica Hamburg’s blog, Me Like the Interweb. Monique’s lesson was this:

Talking to clients about social media is always an exercise in metaphors for me: Social networking is a digital cocktail party.  LinkedIn is a business conference.  Twitter is your individual headline news ticker.  YouTube is your private tv station. In many ways the metaphors are silly and don’t fully explain the platform, but the point is that social media is nothing new.  Social media is simply a set of tools that let us do things that are harder to do in real life, such as keeping up to date on what all of our colleagues, friends and family members are doing, exchanging business contacts and making friend-of-a-friend introductions.

The skeptical comments I often hear from clients are, “why do people spend time on this?” and “how can I benefit?”  Any active social media user knows that these are the wrong questions.  The answer is that people spend time on this stuff because it improves their ability to network offline, to gather information quickly and to establish relationships and to stay in touch.

The basis of a good social strategy is answering the questions, “what are my clients doing online,” “what makes their chosen social networks attractive to them,” “what social failure or real life challenge does this network solve,” and “how can I participate here in a way that adds value, that establishes a closer relationship to my customers, that let’s me stay in touch with their needs, and that, ultimately, is a reciprocal relationship?”

What’s a lesson without homework? Here are some excellent articles that will help you put Monique’s advice into action and get you started on your social media strategy.

5 Reasons Social Media Marketing Comes Last
While it’s no long a question of if you should be using social media, it shouldn’t be first in your marketing plan.

5 Steps to Building a Companywide Social-Media Plan
Helpful steps to get your social media plan moving.

How to Use Google and Twitter to Find Your Customers
Enough said.

An oldie but a goodie, The Cluetrain Manifesto explains the new rules of the market and how to participate.

And, if there’s executive reluctance, 30 Top Objections to Social Media and How to Respond will prepare you to respond to any protests against your social media plans.

Deadline: Tomorrow
(Just kidding.)