The question is not whether you should engage in social media, but rather how to do it intelligently, effectively, and profitably by implementing our four-step plan
Engaging social media to promote your company is similar to taking a long trip in your car. You must take these four steps:
1. The vehicle you are taking: one you know how to drive.
2. Where you are going: your destination or goal.
3. How you are going to get to your destination; what are the means or objectives, for attaining your goals: the roads to take.
4. Checkpoints along the way: to assess your trip and possibly to make adjustments.
One thing is certain: a long trip does not happen overnight. It simply takes time.
All of these factors about taking a long trip are true about engaging social media, except there are multiple vehicles, goals, objectives, and checkpoints. Let’s look at them individually.
1. Vehicles. When taking a long trip, it’s best to choose a reliable vehicle. In social media, there are many reliable vehicles. Chief among these are blogs (posted from your web site), microblogs (through Twitter), social networks (Facebook being the most popular), and professional networks (LinkedIn by far the largest). There are others, of course, but these vehicles represent a firm foundation for your social media efforts.
Ah, but listening is not easy. If it were, more people would do it with verve. But it is just that difficulty that sets those who truly listen apart, and elevates them in the mind of others. People will seek you out because they know you will take the time to truly listen to them. Given that place of honor in their circle of colleagues means that you discover more information faster, are more of a confidant, and gain a deeper association with those around you.
