Rules of Engagement
June 14, 2010
Tricycle’s Social Media Rules of Engagement
Social Media is not a fad. It is not just for “kids”. It is an accepted, proven tool in an increasing number of organizations. However, there remains a lot confusion on the rules; of how to properly use social media in a business environment. We believe the following are the 5 foundational rules of engagement for any organization that wishes to utilize social media.
1. Social first; media second. Simply put, social media is not an advertising platform. As such, you don’t broadcast your message through social channels. Instead, you focus first on being “social” – by connecting with people and having conversations.
2. Person first; corporation second. Social media is a person-to-person medium, not corporate-to-person. As such, each employee within an organization is connecting with the audience as themselves, not as an official representative of the company. In short, social media doesn’t have “spokespeople”.
3. Keep it real. Social Media is not a place to create an image of something you are not. It is a place for organizations and their people to be what they really are. Occasionally this means dealing with negative situations. The best thing to do is to be authentic and transparent.
4. When to sell. Social Media can be a business development tool. It is just a matter of the right timing. Remember this formula: conversations create relationships which create transactions. Go out and talk to people, get to know them – then politely let them know what you are selling.
5. Attention to detail. Just like other mediums, first impressions matter; so it is important to pay attention to details. A few examples: having a decent head-shot, having a well-crafted bio (including what you do for your company), making sure that all areas of your profile are as complete as possible.
You will notice that many of these rules are just age-old common sense. This is because Social Media is ultimately about people. So be civil, look people in the eye, and sit up straight!
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