A number of businesses I’ve talked to know they should be participating in Social Networking and Social Media, but aren’t quite sure of the steps they need to take in order to do it right. It seems most of them who don’t hire a professional, end up assigning the task to the youngest trusted person on their staff. The rationale seems to be they are the one who uses social media the most, so why not put them in charge? So by that logic, a business planning a company picnic should pick the fattest person to plan the menu since they have the most experience with food.
Social networking and social media should be part of your MARKETING strategy and should be performed by marketing professionals. You would not allow someone with one semester of business law to represent your company in court nor would you allow someone who just happens to have used a grinding wheel before to be your lab manager. Why would you not take the same care and consideration in letting someone on your staff be in charge of your social networking?
As I stated earlier, social media should be done by someone who understands marketing. Someone who understands your practice, your product mix, your patients/customers and how to speak with them. You would certainly speak differently with someone who was looking to purchase a $2,000 used car than you would someone wanting to buy an $80,000 sports car. By that I don’t mean rudely to the kid who saved $2,000 and kissing up to the business executive spending $80,000. I mean you would be pointing out the values inherent in the $2,000 car, perhaps it’s fuel efficiency, and so on, versus the handling, and power and stature one would derive from the sports car.
Your marketing person should understand those nuances and approach your messaging on social networks accordingly. Like everything else in life, if you want to succeed at social networking make sure you have the right tools, and that involves someone who not only understands social media, but how to use it correctly. After all, anyone can swing a hammer….how many can do it without hurting themselves?
