The Brand Champion

It seems like social media finds it way into every meeting and event I'm at these days.

More often than not, people seemed excited - and very intimidated - by this latest phenomenon. Excited because of the unlimited (and somewhat untapped) potential it offers. Intimidated because of the light speed this medium is moving at. And with experts creating images like the one the one to the right, its no wonder people don't know where to start.

But its important to remember that social media isn't the be-all end-all of marketing. It's simply another tool in our repertoire. Here are some questions a marketer can ask when developing a social media strategy:

• Do you have a brand communication strategy, essence and positioning? If not, go back and work on one. This should be driving everything you put into market, and that includes anything in the social world. Make that especially in the social world.
• Are you looking to place ads, build relationships, or monitor your brand? What are your goals for using social media? Sites like LinkedIn and Facebook offer targeted options for reaching your audience via banners, text ads and sponsorships. Facebook, Blogger and Twitter let you build relationships with consumers and customers in ways unthought of before. They also let us find out what people think of our brands - in real time.
• Do you have the time and resources? Building relationships takes time - even in the social media world. You need to be able to consistently deliver relevant content and nurture trust.
• Who will own it? Some companies are dedicating entire groups to social media. But most, like mine, seem to be creating matrixed teams.
  
• Which sites match your objectives? Take a look at that picture again. Its impossible to be everywhere in the social world. Plus, half of those sites might not even be here in a year. Choose the few that can help with the objectives you've established and start there.
• How will you measure success? Of course, this should be habit no matter what the project.