June 2, 2009

Getting started with social media

Posted by Kathleen Turaski

Every day, more organizations roll out their Twitter or Facebook presence. Others aren’t really sure where to begin. If you’re in this camp, here are three “first steps” you can take:

1. Start the conversation. Ask your constituents which social networking sites they use and what they like best about their favorites. Encourage your employees to do the same. You need to have some idea how your audience is engaging with social media before you can put it to use for you.

2. Have something valuable to say or share. Social networking is all about creating a community of shared interests. But the information you offer needs to be worth your audience’s time.

One way to create value is by passing along interesting information gathered from different sources about a specific topic. Including your perspective adds to the dialogue.

Another option is to broadcast new content that you create. This takes more work, but other online personalities can amplify your message when they share it themselves. People who are interested in your viewpoint will become loyal members of your community.

3. Be disciplined about postings and updates. As you create or contribute to a community of shared interest, your brand benefits. But that benefit will never be realized if you don’t make a commitment to consistently add new content.

Knowing how to build a network is the easy part. Doing it well to have it pay off for your organization takes a little more forethought.