Companies of all sizes are quick to
talk about the need to implement social media strategies/tactics but when faced
with the question of Who? How? and When? the fear of commitment washes over.
Regardless of the industry, I often find that decision makers struggle with the
commitment it takes to really get involved in the communities they wish to
influence. Whether it is confusion around measurement and effectiveness
or deciding who will take on the responsibility, doing a little homework
beforehand could save your company from the embarrassment of a bad start. Mitch
Ratcliffe of ZDNet wrote an article
that lays out levels of commitment that companies should keep in mind when
considering a corporate blogging effort.
For
startups, consider putting community manager on the list of necessary recruits.
Often times, resource-limited companies and entrepreneurs are the first to make
the plunge without considering the level of commitment it will take to serve as
an evangelist and help build the community. It is possible to hire a part-time
person to fill the role of the community manager. To get an idea of how this could work, I suggest you read “Do
Startup Companies Need Community Managers” by Marshall
Kirkpatric.
To
understand the essential skills of a community manager, Chris Brogan, social
media strategist has put together this thoughtful
post.
The
moral to this post, don’t jump. Wait until you have a plan in place, someone to
make sure you are doing what you said you would do and a strategy that aligns
with business goals but that also ensures involvement in the communities that
you want to reach.
If your company has hired
a community manager, I would love to hear about it.
