Blogs

Twitter, MySpace, Chatter, Jive, Facebook, Foursquare, Yammer, LinkedIn, Google, Yelp... there are SO many social networks and tools in the ecosystem that focusing your attention on just a few can seem overwhelming. Here is some pragmatic advice on how you can be a social business superstar.

1. Set some times to be active. You can definitely spend too much time engaging in social business. If you find yourself tweeting a status update about your cat more than once a day, or you are focusing on social tools instead of your actual job, you might be out of balance. I practice “social breaks” which are akin to smoke breaks. Pick 3-4 times a day for 10 minutes each where you will check in and catch up.
2. Be responsive. If you walked into Nordstrom, how long would you wait for help before you left? 5 minutes? Maybe 10? If something is critical, make sure you jump on it and delegate or handle it immediately. Use your best judgment to determine if something needs an immediate response.
3. Compliment, but don’t replace current processes entirely. Social is an amazing way to connect and communicate, but it should not completely replace current processes (at least until you are ready). Think about how you can use tools to enhance your existing processes rather than replacing things that do work just for the sake of change.
4. Consider security, governance, and compliance. The internet has a VERY long memory, and what you do can come back to haunt you. When you post and engage, consider any restrictions on the content, language, and messaging before you push the submit button. Organizations should work to develop policies that encourage proper use of tools, and provide examples and training to employees to ensure that guidelines are followed.
5. Be yourself. There is nothing less interesting than drones that just repost or leech on social networks. Don’t be afraid to share your hobbies, interests, and often things that are totally not work related with your social networks. One of my favorite social projects was asking a team to share their favorite viral videos on Chatter, which was a perfect opportunity for me to share this gem.

Since this technology is evolving at an incredible pace, remember that practice and making progress in your personal development is a better goal than perfection. Work towards where you are comfortable, and focus on constantly improving and learning more.