W's
It isn’t hard to get started in social media. Set up a Twitter account, Facebook page, a blog and boom; there you are – right?
Wrong. Having a presence on these sites isn’t what makes you successful social media. It’s how you listen, engage and connect with others on these sites that makes you successful.
So how to you get started?
Think through the 4-W’s: Who, Why, Where and What.
- Who do you want to listen to & engage / connect with?
- Why is it important?
- Where are they online?
- What will you do with the information you learn and relationships you build?
Who do you want to listen to & engage / connect with? Your clients? Other professionals in your area of expertise? Vendors and colleagues? All of the above, you say – well, fine. However, there should be a primary focus when you’re just getting started. The adage “you can’t be all things to all people or you’ll end up being nothing to no one” rings true. Unless you have a staff and a budget of thousands, target your efforts.
Why is it important? Your clients may be talking about your product, additional needs they have around a service you provide, your competition. Other professionals in your area of expertise may be talking about a new concept, idea or resource that could add value to your clients or your future work; or they may talk about a situation that could present an opportunity for collaboration. Vendors may talk about upcoming developments, challenges, clients that will make a difference in your planning. What information do you want to key on?
Where are they online? You know who they are – are they active on Facebook? Twitter? Do they blog? Are they active on industry discussion boards / forums / networks? The “standard” social media plan includes a blog, Facebook Page and Twitter. While this might be a good start for many strategies, think it through for your situation before stopping here. I don’t think you should ignore any of these three, however depending on your “who”, “why” and “where” you may want to consider an industry social network or MySpace or Flickr account first.
What will you do with the information you learn and relationships you build? You’re online, you’re listening and begin hearing the feedback you’re seeking. Now what? Say you begin to hear there’s a quality issue with your product. What will you do? Or you hear people talking up a new service package from a competing professional. How will you use this information?
Successfully leveraging social media in your business begins before you set up your Twitter account or post a blog entry. Think through the 4-W’s first. Then listen, engage, connect and take action.
