Social media: same game. Different mediums.

This video is a slide from social media and personal branding presentations I give.

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It supports points I make about social media being new tools that require the same fundamental strategy and approach we all know how to do in traditional networking spheres. Namely (and simply):

• Find communities that are right for you.
• Be nice, ask questions, and be authentic.
• Look to give more than you receive.
• View it as collaboration, not promotion.
• Do it even when you don’t feel like it.
• Do it even when you don’t feel like it.
• Do it even…etc.

The same applies to companies struggling to understanding how to leverage it while afraid of the possibilities if they do. The same questions companies deal with in other areas of their operations apply to the strategic approach they should take to social media.

Culture

• How do we view customers?
• How transparent are we?
• Do we want to have discussions?
• How do we use information gathered?
• Do we believe we can control messages?

Public Relations

• Do we look to add value above and beyond what we charge for? Is everything billable?
• Do we believe that we control messages?
• Or do we believe that we facilitate discussion?
• Do we believe that 5,000 views of a blog is as valuable as a New York Times placement?

Risk Tolerance

• Do we try things to develop context, or do we exhaustively plan before getting involved?
• Do we reward failure?
• Do we have recovery acumen?
• Is believe ever a part of our planning?

Diversity

• Do we seek to incorporate differing backgrounds into the status quo?
• Do we recognize the value of different cultures?
• Do we have a servant leader approach to finding ideas?
• Are we humble enough to listen?

A friend of mine made the point that in the 90’s, companies were worried about what would happen if they allowed anyone in the organization to have an email account. The new tool, it was feared, would generate widespread power of communications, making it impossible to control corporate messages.

Social media isn’t anything new from a strategy perspective.

Apple helps make this point with these two ads.