Nehlsen Notebook

Jumping on the Social Media Merry-Go-Round

By Lee Brinckley, Web Marketing Director  10.14.09

Social media is everywhere! Besides the obvious (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, etc.), there seems to be a social media site (or sites) for everything. There are sites for runners (Athlinks), mothers (CafeMom), artists (DeviantArt), gamers (GamerDNA), Christians (MyChurch), book lovers (LibraryThing) and the list goes on.

What started as an avenue for community and social connection has now turned into a very profitable marketing tool. From giants like Ford and Dr. Pepper's weExist, to small businesses like Naked Pizza in New Orleans, businesses are jumping onto the social media merry-go-round. Many have grounded themselves on the right platforms and have a firm grip. The problem is that most don’t know what to do once they get on, so they grab whatever they can just to stay on. Usually what happens next is some type of catastrophe. They lose their grip, fly off and go smashing to the ground. Many do not recover from the blow. If they do, they stay far away from the social media that hurt them like a little child who is afraid of getting hurt again.

In order to help businesses understand this fast moving social media merry-go-round we first have to look at the actual playground piece of equipment. As a child, we learned quickly that it takes planning to jump onto an already moving merry-go-round. If we didn’t plan it right, we were doomed for catastrophe. We know that it is unwise to jump counter clock-wise to the movement. We also learn that our eyes must get into rhythm of the spin and time it so we can grab a handle just right. But it doesn’t stop there. As we grab the handle, we must jump on or the merry-go-round will drag us in the dirt until we let go and crash.

Social Media is the same way. To just jump on almost guarantees some sort of catastrophe. I am going to list some ways your business must prepare in order to successfully plant yourselves on the social media merry-go-round.

  1. Understand what social media is (merry-go-round)
    Social media, simply, is social interaction through the use of technology to build relationships and community as well as a way to share content like video, photos, blogs, etc.
  2. Not all social media is for you (don’t just jump on)
    Because there are so many different platforms for social media, it is unrealistic to engage in all of them. Just because Business A uses a popular social media platform like Twitter, Business B should not assume that Twitter is right for them. It could be that Business B’s target audiences is found mostly on Facebook or YouTube.
  3. Research your industries’ involvement/trends with social media (finding the rhythm)
    It takes time to understand what your competitors and industry leaders are using. Research will need to be done to see what they are using and how effective it is for them. You may find that they are engaging in a particular social media platform that is not returning results for them, because they missed the mark. On the other hand, you may see they are successfully bringing in new business with a particular platform. If you do not have a marketing professional or department to research social media and put together a plan, it would be wise to hire a marketing firm to help you.
  4. Get educated (learn how to grab on)
    Now that the research is done and the plan is in place, you need to educate yourself. Learn the basics, the “dos and don’ts”, reputation management, and so on. There are many resources to help in this area. If you are using a marketing firm, ask them to do an educational seminar for your employees. Social media is a very powerful tool. What good is a plan if you don’t know how to use it? So take the time and invest in education.
  5. Using it (grabbing hold of it and jumping on)
    Once you are educated and your plan is in place, go for it! Start engaging with your customers by building relationships and brand loyalty through social media. It does take time and discipline to stay consistent, but, if done correctly, you will be rewarded in the end!

Just like playing on the merry-go-round as a child, when you know what you are doing, it is a lot of fun! But if you don’t, you can damage your brand and reputation. Take the time to learn about social media before jumping on.

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