Social Media: Getting It Right

While working my way through my social media RSS feeds, I came across Mashable’s top 10 list of the smartest brands in social media. The companies highlighted in the piece have managed to succeed where many social media newbies struggle: viewing social media tools as a means, not an end, to accomplish a specific goal.

As social media evangelist Ron Ploof puts it, there are three groups in the marketplace: those who don’t get social media, those who do get it, and those who are running with scissors, priding themselves on being up to date by using Twitter and Facebook without really understanding how the different media play to different audiences and purposes.

When developing a digital media plan, it’s essential to stop and think about how your digital media efforts fit into an overall plan, complete with objectives, strategies and tactics. Merely having a presence in these digital media realms is not enough – at the end of the day, the primary goal is to connect with audiences, and making a real connection takes thought and strategizing.

What impressed me about Mashable’s list is how each company used a different facet of social media to play to a specific need and to reach a specific audience. To show off its blenders’ prowess, for example, Blendtec naturally opted for YouTube – after all, seeing is believing. Twittering what’s blender material wouldn’t have nearly the same effect.

The new frontier of digital media might be intimidating, but just because you don’t completely understand it doesn’t mean you should stay out of the game. It’s a matter of testing the tools and understanding their strengths. Facebook, Twitter, blogging – all of these media have their place, but not all are created equal. I recommend trying them on for size in personal use before employing the tools professionally. Take the time to study how other businesses both in and out of your field have successfully put these tools to work for them and their customers.

Tags: blendtec, digital media, Facebook, mashable, running with scissors, social media, twitter