Using Social Media - Reasons to Participate

As more and more businesses board the Social Media train, I have noticed Marketing, PR, Advertising and Word of Mouth Marketing agencies and businesses are still missing the point. In order for Social Media strategies to be effective you need to give people a reason to participate. Giving away free "stuff" or coupons is only a reason to get free stuff or coupons. It is not a reason to participate. Most people who are interested in getting something free will do the minimum amount necessary to acquire the thing that is free. They will not start a meaningful dialogue with you, engage with your company, or freely offer the kind of insight that can change the way your company does business for the better.

While Social Media tools are "cheap" or "free", that doesn't mean formulating an integrated plan is. Social Media is really easy to get wrong. A sound approach is often over looked for the quick "hey we can create a Facebook page, a Twitter account and build a community and everyone will be dying to participate" mentality. Even supposed social media marketing pros are using social media the wrong way and often charging clients large sums of money, that would have been better spent do something else.

Ask yourself, your team and outside partners helping you to create your social media strategies these kind of questions:

1. What is the end goal of our social media objective (research, build affinity, test products, etc)
2. Why would any one care to do x,y,z online?
3. Who is our ideal participant and where do they currently interact online?
4. Are there current communities of people that fit with what we are trying to do, and can we use that platform or do we need to build our own?
5. What are we offering that is different and would ignite the passion of a participant to engage with us as an organization?
6. Is using social media tools the best way to execute what we are trying to do?

Getting social media right is about great research, proper analysis and the right strategy AND giving people reasons to participate.