Well the first thing is that the new media will not supplant the old media but augment it. Furthermore the new media solutions require a fundamental shift in business processes and the metrics necessary to evaluate the success of your efforts. Finally it all hinges upon the old axiom that is best summarized as follows;
There is a reason you have two eyes, two ears and only ONE mouth!
In order to be effective with the new social media it is more important to observe and listen than it is to broadcast your message. It is the fundamental essence of new media and the crux upon which the social interaction is derived. You can not apply the broadcast advertising techniques of television and radio to your social media interactions. If you do then it will horribly backfire ultimately leading to a deficit in your brands social capital.
What is social capital? Well I am glad you asked. Social capital is the benefit you receive as well as the key metric you measure your social media effort by. It is important to understand that you are the only one who can earn the social capital for your brand.
By this point you are asking yourself how the hell do I get some of this social capital. You can not buy social capital because it is only earned through your consistent positive engagement within your social media circle. Social media circles are not very tolerant of ghosting, which I’ll explain later. A brand has an identity for if it does not then it really isn’t a brand in the first place. That identity must be consistent across all media however in the social realm there is an added component. Authenticity!
A brand must be genuinely involved within it’s social circle. If you can not be authentic the wolves in the social media forest will eat you alive. You have to be nurturing, personable and positive. If this is not you then you shall have to select some one from your organization that can be the voice of the brand in this way. It is imperative that you do not fall victim to using a team of ghost writers.
Why are ghost writers bad for social media? I can hire an couple of interns possible for just lunch money so what wrong with letting these young tech savvy students solve my social media woes? The problem is if you are a ‘C’ level executive trying to improve your personal brand for instance there is absolutely no way a college intern will have the understanding of your industry to portray themselves as YOU! Would you send the intern to a social mixer cocktail party in your stead? How can this young individual possibly ever be as effective articulating your ideas and experiences as YOU?
So just where does all of this looking, listening and helping your social circle get you?
It earns you the most important element in the social sector, RESPECT! To earn it you must give it. That’s right you need to respect you social circle first in order for them to give you respect back. That respect equals loyalty, but like any elastic substance you can only stretch it so far. You must maintain the relationship by working at it through conversations and continually interacting with your social circle.
Developing your social circle is what will help you grow your social circle. Being honestly genuine will encourage your social circle to stand behind you when you request help for your favorite charity. By being authentic they will respond to your request for feedback an article you’ve written. In order to reach this point you just need to heed those simple new rules; look, listen, be respectful, authentic, engaging and genuinely responsive.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Mikel King (http://twitter.com/mikelking) has been a leader in the Information Technology Services field for over 20 years. He is currently the CEO of Olivent Technologies, a professional creative services partnership in NY. Additionally he is currently serving as the Secretary of the BSD Certification group as well as a Senior Editor for BSD News.