Starting Your Social Media Case

If you have to convince the boss or the establishment that your organization would benefit from social media, you might want a plan. Here’s a very simple one you can copy:

Do your homework by growing bigger ears and make a little map of what people are saying about you, your competitors, the space, and where they are.
Find a reasonable case study to match the organization’s interests.
Write a one page doc that has: the main goal, the approach, the resources required, the tools required, and how this ties to the larger business goals of the organization. Be sure to compare the cost (including employees) to the cost of current marketing or business communications methods.
Write a one page doc that outlines a non-threatening, finite pilot that lets you “try before you buy” with a clandestine test of the tools and methods (for example: set up a blog about your passion for bowling, instead of your company’s dental practice).
Present this is one, brief meeting where you ask them to listen to all parts before they offer feedback. Give yourself less than 20 minutes (it takes even less, to be honest).

See also: If I Started Today.

In a nutshell, that’s how one might convince one’s boss or the team at large to think about social media, should they already be even vaguely interested.

What do you think?

Photo credit Cornell University Library

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http://blondish.net Nile Flores

I do this for several in my area of Southern Illinois as my father is president of the rotary club in a nearby area. Most of the owners I have met through previous jobs during college or when I switched to online courses since I am a mother. I have been doing social media practices since 2004 and for locals, especially for those in smaller towns, you really have to work to break it down.

It is really a different mentality when breaking it down from large city (900K or greater) to small town/city (20K or less.) Most of the people on the chamber come from various backgrounds from poverty to rich, and from hereditary rich.

However, in connecting to both, is your plan to explain to them how to spread their content, even on a public widespread level. For example, Centralia, Illinois has the Balloon Fest every year. It is huge and draws crowds from all over the US and sometimes the world. The key is to plan to market in a way that attracts not just visitors online, but offline to the event. Centralia is in dire need of selling tickets online for possible goers or even donating towards the event as there are many booths provided by the state of Illinois (example: Children identification programs to help in case a child goes missing.) There is a lot.

This is just a mere example to get ideas going. If your area has main events…that is how to focus more.
http://blondish.net Nile Flores

The thing is, that you can apply some of these ideas to anywhere. You really have to have an open mind and be willing to think about your area and how you can expand those ideas.
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Get my business to use social media? I'm still working on stopping them printing all their e-mails and keeping them hardcopy in a ringbinder!!! Good post though.
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http://twitter.com/TranspoPlanner Michael A. Rodriguez

How do government consultants best use soc. media strategies to interact with their (exclusively) government clients? Our “customers” aren't you and your friends; its bureaucrats and agencies.
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Would you alter that at all if you're presenting to someone who has no presence…and isn't your boss…YET?
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Great post which force me to think about your dedication on this,I think you are a creative worker and giving full time to this site.Thanks for the informative and fabulous one.Its really one of the best tips for starting social media business.Keep up post continue and stay tune with us.
http://socialmedianetworking101.com Ed Bisquera

Great, easy to implement tips Chris! It's scalable and it opens the dialog needed to understand the value of social media and best of all simple!

I agree with many comments here, too.

Getting companies to start is easy; but to keep it going and commit for the long haul will be the challenge. But we'll keep trying! Thanks for your great blog.

Ed
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I like what you said.
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omg.. this is really inspiring! been blogging for a year or so but it was only now that i thought i should monetize my blog and be serious with it.. thanks for this post.
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Thanks for an insightful post. These tips are really helpful. Again thanks for sharing your knowledge with us. Keep blogging. Looking forward to reading your next post.
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Hey thank you so much for sharing this plan. i really appreciate this information.. I do copy this all plans, its really an amazing post..
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marryroy01

I like the sound of local social media initiatives. Someone who is a guiding thought leader for small local business is an incredibly important asset for a community!Some really struggle to strike a good balance, and I think Chris has certainly helped to guide their thinking through his step-by step guide!

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yes, and to make it successful you need to build a good network
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I definitely agree with the basic step-by-step plan, and I last a pager and print to post above my desk constantly and I myself have planned client.The sold to make a point of reminding The biggest problem encountered is when I celebrate the ROI question is a social media skeptic. Especially for small businesses, marketing with small budgets, it is often difficult to sell an idea that the ROI for social media marketing is indirect, and maybe it's ok and still valuable.
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Makes too much sense…I’ve found that one of the biggest hurdles is people’s fear/lack of understanding of social media in general. Some still view it as a toy for the younger generation and are wary of the technology required to dive into the stream. As you’ve outlined, the business case can be made. The realities of overcoming the apprehension may also warrant some discussion as well.

Starting Your Social Media Case

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