Social media is now ever-growing more mainstream with individuals, while companies have either tried and failed, or hopped on hoping their notoriety will carry them through.
Where does that leave the Average Joe’s in a world of GloboGyms?
A fantastic article was published Monday about a University of Texas professor embracing Twitter as a way to connect with her students to continue the discussion outside the classroom. She states:
“…it’s going to be messy but that doesn’t mean bad.”
A great attitude, and one that is realistic as we dive into yet another era that will change the face of how we interact with our clients and prospects.
Solving the Problem
The key strategy for the Average Joe’s should be to solve a problem. What is missing from your current interactions that could be enhanced through social media?
This is exactly the approach that Professor Monica Rankin used when deciding to expand the classroom onto Twitter. She found that students were taking to their Blackberries to post questions about certain topics on the platform, and consolidated them through the use of a hashtag. The questions are then addressed – either through Twitter, or the next time the class meets. The means is determined by how easily the question can be answered in 140 characters – or not.
Know What You Are Signing Up For
Like the web itself, social media is not something to be taken lightly. It is an ongoing conversation between your company and your clients, and needs to be managed properly. Though we are all learning as we go, we also know that the key is to commit to your goals, and to be involved.
Feedback is key when it comes to social media. It is important to know that all kinds of feedback will be come, and that you should be prepared. Our inspired professor found this feedback, and acted upon it. She turned confused students into proactive participants in the classroom by simply acknowledging and addressing their feedback.
Speak to Your Audience
While social media does seem to be the new, shiny thing many PR and marketing professionals are clamoring to be experts at, that doesn’t make it the best solution for everyone. It is vitally important to know your audience, and pick media that will effectively get the message to them. Don’t force your target market to sign on to Twitter if they are already using LinkedIN. Instead, find out exactly which social media platforms your target audienced is already using and make those a part of your game plan.
Just remember: social media is not nearly as scary is being hit with a dodgeball at 80 miles an hour 
Art Director
Strategic Insights
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What a lot of people do wrong with Twitter is limit themselves to that 140 characters. A lot of times, they forget they can link to other great Web tools that let them expand the conversation past Twitter’s limitations (etherpad.com and tinypaste.com).
And you’re right. It isn’t for everyone. It is all about engaging the target on their turf. I think the teacher, and for that matter any business, that utilizes Twitter to engage the students on their turf will be much more successful than someone who tries to coral attention to a away from the audience’s native environment.
Plus, you should understand your role in the medium. A lot of companies are creating Social Media Policies for their employees, which is good, but they can be taken too far if there is too little understanding.
The Associated Press, known for free speech, is one of those companies that recently went too far: http://mashable.com/2009/06/23/ap-social-media-policy/