Getting a handle on social media

Solid post yesterday on AdAge by Beth Snyder Bulik. Correctly realizing that many companies are still stymied by social media and how to use it as a marketing tool, she answers some important questions that may be vexing a lot of folks. Here's the Cliff Notes version:

1. Quit talking about whether blogging is a fad - blogs are here to stay so get on board.
2. Before you launch your blog because everyone says you need one, do your research and make sure you have the blog staffed properly to make sure the right stuff is being posted regularly and the blog is being actively managed.
3. Don't try to game the system because you're scared of what people might say. "Nothing always works, and blogs have seen their share of disasters."
   
4. Don't do a fake blog (flog) like Wal-Mart, Coke, McDonald's and Sony did, they all turn out badly.
5. Learn what SMO stands for (hint: social-media optimization).
6. Embrace the groundswell of customer insight, and use it in a way that makes sense for your company - research, awareness, promotion, sales, improving customer support, product development, etc.
7. Come to terms with the fact that social media is not yet a great ad network and may not end up being a great long-term traffic generator or brand builder. But that doesn't mean you don't get involved in the right way now anyway.
   

There's also an interesting case study for the article - read the whole thing here.

From AdAge via The WOMMA Word
Image from liberatemedia.com