Do you have a social media strategy? Everyone seems to be talking about social media today. Some are diving in and others are merely dipping their toes – and that with some trepidation.
Whether you’re in deep or just testing the waters, remember that how you use social media and who you include in your online social network should be approached with some thought and care.
Take this example. A person creates a facebook account and includes her standard information, including high school and year of graduation. People from her alma mater find her by using the friend finder tool. Next she joins a group for the “Class of [fill in the blank]” and she re-connects with long lost friends and classmates. She is “friending” everyone from her home town and soon someone writes on her wall, “Hey sis, haven’t seen you in awhile. I want to come down and visit you next month.” This person is neither a relative nor a close friend. This actually happened to me and I found it odd that this person would 1) call me “sis” and 2) want to arrive on my doorstep, in my REAL LIFE. Kinda scary…
So that’s why I’m a big fan of having a strategy. A strategy helps you to establish boundaries and enforce them. Here are some questions you need to ask yourself in order to create your social media strategy.
1. What do I hope to gain by using [facebook, LinkedIn, twitter, etc.]?
2. Who do I want to connect with?
3. How will I filter my friends/contacts/followers?
4. How can I add value to others in my network?
Your answers to these four questions will determine the direction you should take with your social media strategy.
Take some time. Really consider what you want to get and what you want to give to your social media network.
Once you have a strategy in place, it will drive your decisions as you build a strong foundation in the social media space.
p.s. don’t let this be you…
Real Life Facebook
Image by docbaty via Flickr, used under a Creative Commons license
