7 pragmatic questions businesses should ask about social media

Social Media Addiction doesn’t sell

I am a social media geek.  I say that without shame or regret.  I am also a business person who uses social media tools at work every day.  I also advise clients on their use of social media from time to time.

Business Knowledge Helps

I have been doing some advisory work with various organizations regarding their implementation of social media within the organization.   It isn’t a big sampling, but some of the things I have heard are interesting.

Business leaders are not avoiding social media because of the legal risks, or because they have not spent a lot of time using the tools.    Even though they may not be power users, most executives are very aware of the potential promise of social media.     They are also very aware of the potential pitfalls to their business, and do a better job of avoiding  potential shiny object syndrome than most social media enthusiasts.  (like me!)

Sure, we can debate the potential lost opportunities of failing to be an early adopter, and harangue about the conservative nature of most businesses, but here is the cold hard truth:  this is good business.

When it comes to adopting social media tools into their business processes, most executives are being pragmatic and sensible.  They want to understand the the total risk versus the potential rewards.

Seven client questions about social media

They are asking  practical real world questions.    Here are some of the questions you should be prepared to answer if you are helping your company with any kind of social media implementation.

1. What kind of resources will we need to deploy to handle the additional information flow from social media channels?
2. What sort of messaging controls will be in place?
3. How will our company culture be affected?
4. How committed are we to a two way dialogue with the public, including customers, employees, and others?
5. Do the potential risks outweigh the potential rewards?
6. What level of training commitment is required for a successful implementation?
7. Which social media platforms/tools make the most sense for our business?

If you are working with clients who are considering the adoption of social media tools, be able to help them develop answers to these questions is a good starting point for helping them do so.   These questions are also a good starting point for speaking to business people about social media in business terms, rather than as a really fun and cool kind of playground session for geeks!

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