By David Bullock Co-Author – Barack 2.0: Social Media Lessons For Business
Summary : Are we paying attention to the wrong things in regards to social media?
Recently, I attended a “social media” luncheon. What I heard was interesting.
- How social media could be used.
- How social media should be used.
- Great stories that are inspiring to hear.
All about building trust, non-marketing and non-sales. How this media is so different.
No hard numbers. No metrics. Just nice stories about what would, should and could happen with this thing called “social media.” The concepts are there but meaningful frameworks and tactics are lacking. I guess folks are trying to figure it out.
But I did not hear anyone talking about how social media is being used:
- to increase revenues,
- leverage communications,
- support business objectives and
- easily reach new markets.
And more importantly, what I did not hear was how could this “new media” be used to create predictable outcomes. I was not looking for tips, tricks and the newest tools. I was looking for thinking or a methodology that just works because it is based in sound principles and known outcomes.
Sorry folks. I am an engineer. I build things. And I think social media is a tool that should be used to generate business outcomes that matter.
On the other hand, if you are using social media to just be sociable then this post is not for you. But if you are a business owner looking to use social media as a means to connect, engage and communicate with your audience, here are some of the questions that are running in my mind as I move both strategically and tactically in the marketplace.
For Business Owners And Managers Only
Not in any order, but this is a loose framework…
Social Media for Business:
- What are you doing?
- Are you doing anything meaningful? Or are you waiting for something?
- If you are doing something, why are you doing it?
- What is your message?
- It is a valuable message?
- How do you know it is valuable?
- Who cares? Who’ll listen?
- Where and who are they listening to?
- Who is it (specifically) valuable to?
- What is the expected outcome?
- Are you achieving your outcomes?
- What kind of time, energy and effort are you deploying?
- Is it working?
- What part of it is not working?
- How do you know it is not working?
- What is your metric?
- What is your measurement device?
- Is the device accurate?
- How do you know your device is accurate?
- Is the online media the right engagement media?
- Should social media be used with other channels?
- Do you have a story that is worth repeating?
- Are people repeating your story?
- Have you isolated the elements of your story that make it valuable to others?
This is the short list of questions that I am asking as I move across channels.
As a business owner who has to communicate, promote and engage with clients and prospects everyday, the “30,000 ft view” of the newest of social media platform or trend has little to no meaning to my day-to-day business.
Seeing the “buzz” in the marketplace is interesting only in regards to the traffic and connections that are created because of the buzz. Having a “buzz meter” with no application for the “buzz metric” is meaningless.
This is just like having complete analytics and not knowing what to do with the numbers.
The question I am always asking is, “What can I do with this?”
The exhaust of data from the social media space is incredible. But again I ask, “now what and so what?” What are we as business owners going to do with the data so that it becomes actionable information that creates the business outcomes that you (or your clients) are looking for?
Business owners and managers are looking for the “Do this. Measure this. Look for this. If you see this, do this next.”
No theory. Pragmatic, actionable, measurable and tangible, results.
Business owners want outcome-oriented blueprints because dynamic markets require thoughtful action and timely execution.
Things are moving too fast for inability to act and analysis paralysis.
Just my thoughts after too many theoretical conversations that lead to more theoretical conversations. What do you think?
