I just want to offer you a few words on the use of social media for business. When I first came on board I crafted our methods based on the results we got and research I did, but, after SpringFair, I changed it due to advice we were given. This advice was given by someone who was a social media expert, who gave us a fixed plan to use. Unfortunately it hasn't worked for us, and our social media impact has taken a definite slide.
1)What works for one may not work for the other. Consider what sector your business occupies, the type of people you are going to be reaching etc etc.
2) Keep it up. Random gaps here and there can be a punishment in themselves, a consistent presence on social media can help reinforce your businesses position and trust. Find a happy medium and do not spam.
3) Do your research to understand your businesses social media requirements and how your business should use social media.
4) For the most part, keep it relevant to the industry, but remember to introduce some humour into it.
5) Know your brand. The way innocent drinks uses social media will not be suitable for a high end estate agents for example.
6) Don't follow too many people on twitter. I know you all want to follow back but eventually your feed fills up with the most useless tripe. It is still about the big conversation, but sometimes you won't be able to find a conversation because of all the spam.
7) Go as far as to craft who you follow on Twitter. My two favourites are Guy Kawasaki and Innocent Drinks. Again, understand the needs of your company and remember to follow other people in the industry. Social media gives you good access to free market research and information.
8) Blog as often as you need to. If you've got something to blog, do it. But if you're just repeating the same things over and over, its probably best to wait for a while until you have something to blog. Have a minimum of 1 blog/week, we normally have enough to have blog 3 times a week.
9) Avoid things like hootsuite if you want a personal touch. Its nice to let something else do it for you at what time you dictate and, for some, it will work well. However, this method ends up being devoid of all personal touch because you're not involved in the conversation, you're sending out something you decided on earlier and hoping it hits home!
Personality trumps vanity.
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