Dirks On Strategy: Use social media wisely

Dirks On Strategy: Use social media wisely

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By David Dirks

Published: 2:00 AM - 03/16/11

"Here is the true beauty of social media: it has little or nothing to do with media and everything to do with you. It's a mirror of who you are, what you are doing, and how you are impacting the world around you."

So says Joshua Dirks (no relation) of Social Creature Media. He continues: "For the business owner who truly cares, this means being able to fix problems as they arise, and talk with customers in a conversation" instead of a monologue.

The road to true two-way conversations in a social media world is not easy; it takes work. Dirks categorizes the common pitfalls he sees and how to avoid them.

Three-part series

This is the third installment in a series based on an interview with social media expert Joshua Dirks.

To read the first two columns, go to www.recordonline.com/dirks.>

The aimless wonderer:

"Sit down and figure out what your goals are, what platforms you are going to use, what budget you will allocate and how much time will go into your efforts."

The flash in the pan:

"This person has seen the news, heard the hype, builds a page, posts three times, gets five fans and then leaves because they say social media does not work. Would that work in a traditional networking setting? No, so why would that work here? People, just like in past times, want to connect with their merchants. It takes time to gain this trust. So if you decide to enter the conversation, don't just get up and walk out because no one is talking to you yet."

The self-promoter:

"These people have posted 20,000 messages on Twitter but only have 47 followers, and every message has the word 'sale,' 'special,' 'limited time offer.' They have taken their traditional message and began spraying it into the social media world."

The spammer:

"They spam the same message on every platform they have using a distribution tool. Remember that these sites are made up of real people who have established a social norm on their platform. Know the communities you are getting into and know how to participate intelligently."

The social media intern:

"Really? Would you give your TV creative to an intern? Of course not. Yet some would allow an intern to form who they are on a social network that usually has far greater reach than any TV station in the world."

Feeling enslaved to social media:

"Don't do it if you don't have the time. And if you don't get a post up today, don't worry. The sun will come up tomorrow. Remember to control the network; don't allow it to control you."

The non-responder:

"Customers want to feel acknowledged even if it's a simple 'Thank you.' Don't allow comments to go by without responding. If you desire deeper engagement, then respond and ask them a question."

Social media and the opportunities it provides you to create a dialogue with both prospects and customers are here to stay. Creating a social media strategy and integrating it into your business life is yet another way to drive growth.

David Dirks of Port Jervis is a business strategy and marketing consultant. Visit his strategy blog at growingmybusiness.wordpress.com and listen to his weekly radio show at wtbq.com. E-mail him at dirksmarketing@gmail.com. His column appears Wednesdays.

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