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 While it may seemed a bit of a stretch to draw an analogy between how force shall be used in a military combat and best practices in social media, I find the correlation oddly accurate. The rules vary in scope and density depending upon the culture being engaged and these directives are declared either public or remain private, known to the force that intends to use them. For the sake of this analogy, I’d argue that the rules of social media engagement directly correlate to your objectives. The execution of these objectives should be made according to the customs of the culture you are engaging.
Social Media is not a battle or a one-way channel for the “me me me” show; Social Media is about knowledge and helping others.
1) know yourself
2) know your community
As simply stated, it’s not always simple put into action. We are all beautiful works in progress, but there’s a core sense of self in all of us and in every business. Defining ourselves in the webosphere begins with a keen understanding of self and defining that authentic voice. Whether it’s corporate or personal in scope, people respond to authenticity.
And just like we wouldn’t bully our way through a foreign country making demands in our native tongue, nor should we rush into the hottest, shiny new social network and start screaming for attention. Take the time to discover the unique qualities of the culture and engage accordingly. Remember, it’s okay to make mistakes; there’s always a new path to find when we get lost along the way.
With what feels like the gold rush of social media, it may feel like we need to rush around and stick our flag all over the place and wave it in every direction but to what success? While it’s not always simple to track ROI with your social media marketing efforts, it’s absolutely necessary to set goals.
3) define desired ends
Before setting out into the great unknown, give yourself a few objectives like 100 new RSS subscribers, higher keyword ranking, submitting guest posts and comments on popular blogs in your niche, share valuable content others can gain from, or create a free web book in your area of expertise. While we can’t quantify the value of a conversation on Twitter or a new relationship made on Facebook, we can begin to define specific goals that relate to who we are as people and as a company.
You can always find me on Twitter @NikitaScene.
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