Session 1: Social Media Review

I’ve just completed teaching my first session in India at the Young Creative Leaders conference and wanted to explore some of the topics the class was most interested in.

Social Branding

Every organization has a brand they project online and offline. As a social media user, you also have a brand and how you manage your brand and your company’s brand is crucial to your success in social media. This is an area which could use a series of posts describing how to evaluate your brand and how to effectively manage it. Some key takeaways:

  • Review what you post – I recommend reading something through at least two times before you post it. This will help you catch errors or decide you want to say something differently.
  • Follow the 15 second rule. Social media moves quickly, but you can spare 15 seconds when you write an update. After you’ve finished writing an update and have reviewed it twice, wait 15 seconds and read it again before you submit it.
  • Don’t spread yourself thin. There are many opportunities to engage in social media and limited resources to be successful in each. Your brand will suffer if you spread yourself too thin and don’t appear to be updating one platform or another.

Social Media is a Party; Not a Parade

We like the analogy that social media is a party, not a parade. You have an opportunity to spend time engaged in conversation with people at a party. Some people mistakenly believe social media is a parade – as they walk by, they can shout their message and reach a lot of people. A parade eventually ends. Think of social media as a party: you’re not going to yell at people, talk only about yourself, or only be focused on yourself.

Authenticity Matters

Are you real? In social media, authenticity matters. If you are authentic in your social media engagement, you will find success with your social media. Some companies want to hide behind their brand, but social media allows people to connect to real people. Some tips for being authentic in social media:

  • Admit when you’re wrong
  • Show your strengths and weaknesses
  • Ask the community for help
  • Show the unique side of your employees

I’m excited for session two as we explore specific methods of executing in social media.

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