Banishing Social Media Nightmares

By Tarah Heupel | April 29, 2010

Me, in a bad dream last week:  “So, tell me why you want to be on Facebook/Twitter/YouTube?”

The phantom client:  “Because everyone else is.”

Me: (Shuddering)

To be fair, we spend a lot of time talking about how important it is for businesses to have a social media presence, and a lot of people are ready to get on board, which makes us really happy. However, when we see a business with a lackluster fan page or a silent Twitter feed, it makes us sad.

Social media is seductive – it’s new, exciting, and a relatively cheap initial investment (in both dollars and manpower), requiring only that you choose a clever screen name and upload the perfect photo.

But then what?

Like everything else on the web, social media is a twisting, turning, ever-transforming thing, and you have to be prepared. It’s like having a baby, but with (hopefully) fewer dirty diapers: you need to nurture it, respond to any messes, and eventually help it grow up and do amazing things.

There are great opportunities to make social media work for you and your business, but it’s important to have a plan. Just like any other type of marketing, know what your ultimate goal is, then figure out who you’re going to talk to, what you’re going to say, and how often you’re going to say it.

Once you have that blueprint in hand, then you can jump in and start posting. Not only will strategy help your business use social media more successfully, but it will actually save tons of time and energy down the road – and keep me from having any more of those dreams.

If your business uses social media, are you operating from a plan, or just flying by the seat of your pants?

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