1. How To: Not Get Overwhelmed By Implementing Social Media And
Underwhelmed By Initial Results.
• Create a Strategy
If you build they will come….but only if you took the time to build it correctly. It’s easy to
jump into the online media realm and start “doing social media.” But without the proper
foundation in place you could end up feeling overwhelmed while hurting your social
media goals in the long run.
o Keep it Simple, don’t stretch yourself too thin
 Don’t worry about doing everything at once. There is a new tech savvy
app/site/blog/community every day. Start with the basics, master your
presence and grow your social media scope over time. Outline how in
depth your content creation will be, where you want to start building
your presence.
o Stay In line with Business Objectives and Goals
 Start with the “big three” increase revenue, lower costs, and increase
customer satisfaction. Generally speaking you should work to harness
“word of mouth.” More specifically drill down any goals unique to your
industry or business and apply social media to those goals i.e. a new
product launch or industry event.
o Outline and Implement a companywide Social Media Policy
 Utilizing colleagues/employee’s social networks is paramount to reinforce
your brand online. BUT in order to use these networks effectively explicit
instructions must be laid out carefully into a Social Media Policy, signed
by EVERY employee. You should also consider a social media education
series/training program to help educate your workforce and keep them
up to date on the evolution of your Social Media Strategy.
• Plan, organize, and stay on track

2. Once you have a roadmap for success, it’s vital you stick to it. This is where many a
newbie to Social Media fall into a trap of doing too much, too quickly, and burning out
before they ever reached their potential. If you adhere to your strategy, you will be able
to master step, one by one until you are able to implement your cross-platform skill set
flawlessly!
o Set a timeline with implementation points
 Know where your road markers are along the path to Social Media
Success. Working from a simple starting point (i.e. Twitter, Facebook, and
Linked In) systematically grow your presence and expand the types of
content you publish (i.e. YouTube/Video)
o Establish a small team and decide who will manage
 Implementing, Maintaining, and Evolving Social Media requires a
constant watch on your brand as well as where the social media space is
headed. A small team cuts down on communication across roles as well
as ensures that the entrusted few, have the skill set and training
necessary for taking care of your brand’s online presence.
o Do your homework, be informed and update
 Once you’ve begun the trek into social media, you have to stay up to date
on the latest trends, tools, and topics as they relate to your target
audience. Check out my fav. resources here.
• Aim at the right target
Your Social Media Mantra: Know Thyself, Know Thy Target Audience, Know Thy
Audience’s . The planning and research you’ve done will only be amplified by getting to
know your Target Audience.
o Look at what successes/failures your competitors are having
 A big tip in
o Establish who your target audience(s) are

3. o Where they are utilizing social media
o How to influence them
o Look at industry trends as well as influencers and potential evangelists
• Measure, Analyze, Re-Vamp
o Build on Success and celebrate failures
o Concentrate on evolving
o Watch market trends, audiences changes, niche communities and
o Don’t look for an immediate ROI, the Return on Engagement is often less
tangible but more powerful