How to bust social media guru myths

When an emerging or disruptive media platform begins to get traction with the mainstream, a wave of ‘gurus’ suddenly appear, taking advantage of the chaos to make a buck, get a job, or raise their profile.

Jargon is created and abused and dire consequences are predicted by the guru if he or she isn’t given full reign to shape strategy.  Sometimes when there is a technical or practical hurdle to overcome, this guru is necessary. However, social media is different, because social media belongs to the people before it does to business.
 
Social media is turning marketing back to the basics by putting the customer at the centre of everything and refocusing on a tried and true marketing strategy: getting the right content to the right people on the right channels at the right time.

A smart, professional communications practitioner that understands transparency and audience-centricity is what you really need. Social media is a tactic to be used in tandem with other marketing strategies.

So with that in mind, before embarking on a long-term social media project, just check this simple list, for some small but essential things, you can do in social media without needing a guru’s help.
 
Make it easy for your fans.
Put your social media icons and social plugins (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) on your home page, but also in all your current communication channels from press releases to email signatures. People want to connect on Facebook with brands they like but they are not going to spend their time finding you. One recommendation is to create a 'social media room'. This is an interactive experience on your website where users and media can engage with your content and access your social media presences.
 
Import your blog to Facebook notes.
You can easily import the RSS of your company’s or executive’s blog to your Facebook page wall automatically.
 
Fill up all of the bios and descriptions of your social media profiles.
The second rule of social media after shareability is to be searchable. Take your time and include the keywords for your business. In an over communicated space such as the internet, you should always appear on search results before your competitors.
 
Determine your potential market.
Facebook lets us know exactly how big your potential market is. You can use the Targeting ads module to define how many users are likely to engage with your brand.

Automate a welcome DM (Direct Message) for your new followers on Twitter.
You can use services like Social Oomph. Don’t forget to thank them and bring them to a special landing page.  
 
Make your content shareable.
The most valuable rule of viral marketing is to make your content easy to forward. Remember how difficult it was before social media to get views and visits? Nowadays, you can install useful 'share' and 'like' buttons on your pages and blogs.
 
Create a social media response protocol.
At Waggener Edstrom we use a process called Social Influence Systems to create a decision hierarchy; to identify who is influential in the Socialsphere; how best to respond to engagement opportunities; and to streamline workflow and roles and responsibilities. This will save you time and hassle.

Integrate real customer care to your Facebook page.
To create a real and efficient customer experience, think about services like Get Satisfaction. Your customers will thank you and you’ll build brand trust.