In a recent conversation with a colleague, we embarked on the subject of social media. For those of us in media/marketing/communications, social media is so often where our conversations end up. How can we make Facebook and Twitter work for us? How can we get more hits on YouTube? Etc.
I personally include “social media integration” as one of my services. That’s because I think these techniques can be a valuable element of SOME marketing campaigns. Not all. But it is still about strategy. There are organizations signing up for Twitter accounts because they hear that’s how they get the word out these days. And yes, it’s one way. But you should still have goals and objectives for this medium — just as you do for direct mail, media relations or your Web site.
My colleague and I noticed that several agencies are hiring “social media interns.” Is this a way to capitalize on a young person’s knowledge of the technology? Is the strategy being considered, or are they just setting college students free and asking them to build fan pages all day long? Without being on the inside, we can’t know for sure what the hiring strategy really is.
Nonetheless, when it comes to social media, make sure that if you hire a consultant or agency to help, that you have a plan — a strategy — in place. Just because Twitter and Facebook seem “easy” doesn’t mean they are throwaway tools. Think it through, and make sure that your agency or consultant is, too.