Social Media: A Feeding Frenzy

Man, this is crazy. Everywhere I look, I'm hearing discussions about Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and YouTube. These sites have been around for a while but I guess that all of the fanfare is due to critical mass.

Is It Too Late To Jump On Board?

A number of people have asked me about their involvement with social media. They're asking, "Is it too late?" "Should I open and account?" etc. Here's the good news... it's never too late. And in fact, those starting later in the game do have some advantages over those who have been online for a while, it's all a matter of perspective. Here are some tips if you still haven't developed a complete social media strategy.

1. What do you want from social media? Think about what you want social media to do for you. Are you trying to promote your company or product? Do you want to establish yourself as an expert? Focus on the purpose and that can help you successfully implement a comprehensive social media plan.

2. Create a detailed plan. For those of you who read my blog regularly, you know that I'm all about planning - to a degree. Here are some things you should write down: Social Media Sites where you want to be included. What will be your theme? What steps are involved (registering for accounts, placing icons on your web site or blog, including references to profiles in your signature line, etc.)? Who will be managing day-to-day tasks?

3. Assemble a team. Who's going to be executing on your social media strategy daily? If you haven't figured it out already, it's a lot of work. Assemble a team, use automation tools, or hire resources via eLance.com.

4. Establish goals. What are you trying to achieve on each social media platform? How many followers? How many fans? By when? Consider the outcome you're striving for and you can quickly achieve your goals.

5. Be realistic. It takes time to get comfortable with social media and achieve the goals you're striving to hit. Start slow but remain consistent in your efforts to succeed online. The key is to stay with it. Just like the social media sites themselves, it takes time to hit critical mass - but once you do, you're golden.

Now is the time to get involved with social media. From my perspective it's never too late. So don't hesitate to visit Twitter.com and other social media sites today. Set up an account and get started after mapping out your social media plan.