On Sunday I ran across a blog post that stressed the importance of content in implementing a social media strategy. As I normally do, I tweeted the article to my followers which resulted in a few retweets. But the real value for me in tweeting these articles out is when they lead to a conversation about the article’s value and purpose. I thought I would reprint the twitter conversation I had yesterday morning with my friend Dave Kralle.
- Dave - @royjwells I think this article falls short by failing to list specific reasons for his apprehension about social media. What is his goal?
- Roy – @DaveKralle I think he is concerned that if you do not have compelling content then a #sm strategy falls short. Followers want value.
- Dave – @royjwells yes. I get that content is key for a SM game plan but isn’t that a given? It’s worthless to advocate nothing.
- Roy – @DaveKralle You’re right, the question is what is the appropriate content that will successfully build your following.
- Dave – @royjwells good point. I guess I take for granted that ppl know why they are using #sm which isn’t always a given.
- Roy – @DaveKralle Not everybody gets it, some people just advertise with no strategy for building relationships or conversations.
In building a social media strategy the two most important questions that you need to answer are: (a) who are the audiences that you want to reach; and (b) what value can you provide them that will result in their wanting to be part of your community. You can build all the bells and whistles that you want, but it is content that will determine your success or failure.
Do you know who your audiences are? Do you know what content they are interested in? If you know the answers to these two questions, then you are in a postion to determine which tactics (facebook, myspace, linkedIn, twitter, youtube, flickr, etc.) make sense in implementing your social media strategy.
One of my goals has been to share my “education” on social media with those who share the same interest and desire to learn. By sharing articles and posts with others, I hoped to build a following and a community that I could learn from as well. Yesterday’s conversation demonstrates to me that not only have I been able to achieve one of my goals, but that this journey has been worth the time and effort. Thanks Dave for raising the question, and the conversation.
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