Social Media Should’s And Should Not’s

Life is shaped by rules. Some we can deal with others we resist. Some rules are designed to benefit us and others are designed to control us.

Everything has rules spoken and unspoken. It is up to us to determine which rules apply to enabling us to accomplish things and which don’t.

Social media does have rules and most of these rules are reflective of “how” people intend to create social capital with their markets. Markets are conversations so your conversation either builds capital or uses other peoples capital. Using other peoples capital can get you a short distance but building your own capital will give you value in the long haul.

So if your intent is to build your market with your own capital there are some things you should do and things you shouldn’t do.

Here is my list, for what it’s worth, of what you should and should not do with this things we call social media.

Should

• Develop a social media strategy before you jump in. Understand who,what,where, when and how you intend to create value for your audience. Not having a strategy is akin to not knowing where you want to go and how you’ll get there.
• Learn the difference between advertising and convertising. Not knowing means you are likely to fail.
• Understand what your market is seeking and give them that which they want and need. This will require constant listening before you act.
• Think about long term impacts rather than short term gains. This isn’t a sprint rather a marathon that never ends.
• Throw out institutional and corporate speak. Learn human terms. People will reject corporate speak and slick marketing campaigns.

Should Not

• Don’t outsource your conversations. Engage your own people to engage with your market but first learn to engage your own people
• Don’t push rather learn to pull. No one likes pushy people
• Don’t think of your audience as targets. Think in terms of relations
• Don’t try and trick or catch people. Rather think about engagement and experience
• Don’t even begin to use social media until you first consider your existing cultural barriers that may be the enemy of any social media strategy

The market of conversations is a different market and mass media doesn’t work in this market. The technologies enable mass reach but reach isn’t for targeting rather it enables relational dynamics for engagement with people. The technology is easy. The process isn’t. Get it?

Do you understand the basic’s of Social Media?

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