1) What are people already saying about your organization on the web? Gather information, do your research, seek out the conversation. Listen FIRST.
2) Think about your plan of action. Which blogs will you want to follow? How much of the conversation has already taken place? Will you and how will you engage? Listen and Plan.
3) Calmly engage in the conversation happening on the web. Do not react to negative comments by haphazardly responding with a defensive comment on someone’s blog. Calmly engage.
4) It’s important to spread a message that is true to your organization. On this plan, you will never need to remember what you say or write to anyone. If you tell the truth, the story stays the same. Transparency, honesty and authenticity work well with social media.
5) Social Media is a two-way conversation. Find and engage with the folks that already have a perception of your organization or brand. Be ready to react.
6) Use photos, videos and any kind of mixed media to enhance your message when possible. Hyperlink to additional information or suggested reading, this will help bring value to your message. Create valuable content.
7) If you want to be easily found on the web, you should be constantly engaging in the conversation happening on the web. While consistency lends itself to search engine visibility it is important to find a balance between quality content and consistency. Quality outweighs quantity.
Michael T. Toner
www.miketoner.com
I’m down with the kilt for sure. I have a friend who now wears a LOIN CLOTH and the kilt was a gateway garment to that, so there is that (not that a loin cloth is ba8##8230;.it&&d217;s just very loin clothy and kind of hard to get used to hanging out with someone who is wearing one.)