Way back in 2005, when “business blogs” were pretty rare creatures, those of use who were pushing the boundaries and getting some of the first businesses to actively use blogs were telling businesses to start blogging only if they were serious about getting input from their customers. If they weren’t ready for that kind of interaction or weren’t willing to put real resources behind a blog, then just monitoring social media right be the right choice for them.
I feel compelled to say right off the bat that if you aren’t interested in genuinely engaging with your customers (spamming with links to your website or special offers does not equal engagement), don’t use Twitter for your business. But if you are ready to start a conversation about your company, it can be a powerful tool to develop your brand and add many loyal customers to your following.
[From Social Media Today | 10 tips for taking your business into the Twittersphere in 2010 ]
Recently I’ve been seeing more and more “Using Twitter For Business” and “Make Your Product Fan Page on Facebook” posts and frankly there is little difference between the advice we were giving companies in 2005-2006 and now.
The crux of the issue is that social media (blog, Twitter, Facebook, etc) all work under very similar guiding principles of communication, listening, sharing. Maybe the frustration people have with the onslaught of “social media consultants” is that a lot of people try to make social media something that is radically new, horribly complex, and fraught with peril for the uninitiated. Sure, in the great scheme of things social media is a pretty new way to communicate, but it’s no different than what has been going on over the past four years. What’s different now is that the tools are getting more sophisticated and the toolset itself has grown larger. When before a business blog was the primary social media tool, now we have Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare … and who knows what’s coming next.
Here’s my advice for businesses then (as tool agnostic as possible):
- Listen first. See what people are already saying about your brand online. Do searches of Twitter, Facebook, blogs and just read for a while. Get a sense of what the issues are (or not) before you jump in.
- Start slow and get a social media mentor. No, social media isn’t rocket science, but there are manners, expectations, and social etiquette that you should understand. Lots of great (and well meaning companies) have a rough start at first just because they make a few faux pas. Just having someone to help not only show you the ropes, but also introduce you around goes a long way.
- Make a commitment. “Do or do not. There is no try.”-Yoda. Put resources, time and value on social media. Look, people are out there talking about your company, brand, or niche, joining in on the conversation can bring you great personal and professional success. Success in social media is just like success in life: overnight success takes years (time). The world will not radically change overnight. Just be patient. Give it time.
- Bring it close to home. Think about stepping into social media yourself. Connect with friends on Facebook. Read blogs about your hobbies. Use Twitter to get the latest news (or gossip). Social media isn’t all about work, it’s supposed to be fun too.
That’s about it. I’m skipping all the details about setting up blogs or Twitter accounts or Facebook fan pages. Those are just tools. If you understand the mechanics of painting a room you can learn how to use a brush, roller, or sprayer as you go.
If you’d like to learn more, or would like me to be your social media mentor, you can connect with me on Twitter, leave a comment here, or send me an email at tris [at] trishussey [dot] com.
