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No more “What are we going to do in social media?” meetings

on December 9, 2010

I’ve worked with so many organizations that have meetings upon meetings upon meetings about “What’s our social media strategy?” or “What are we going to do in social media?”

These meetings are a colossal waste of time. Absolutely nothing gets accomplished. If you’re not doing anything in social media, what do you have to talk about? And social media engagement is all about experimentation. It’s not about weeks of planning until you’ve planned out everything perfectly. It’s about doing, adjusting, and iterating. And doing that again and again.

The decision makers, usually the people who have zero social media experience, demand evidence. “Show me proof.” This just stalls the process. Some low level person has to search the web for an article about a similar company doing something similar. Once they find the article they present it to the C-level executive and then they finally say, “OK, go ahead and do it.” What a waste of time.

No “social media” gets accomplished in a “What are we going to do in social media?” meeting

Say there are a half dozen people sitting around the table discussing what you should and shouldn’t do. Nobody’s producing anything. It’s often the blind leading the blind.

I’m suggesting a moratorium on all “What are we going to do in social media?” meetings.

Instead of having that one hour meeting, why not cancel that meeting and require all six people spend that available hour writing a blog post? Now six blog posts have been created which is an enormous social media accomplishment. And instead of having another meeting, spend the next free hour reading the other blog posts, leaving comments, and promoting it to your social networks (e.g., Twitter and Facebook).

Go into your calendar and cancel your next two one-hour meetings.

On the first cancellation notice, indicate that every intended meeting attendee must write a blog post.

On the second cancellation notice, indicate that every meeting attendee must read the other blog posts, leave comments, and then promote the posts to their social networks via Twitter and Facebook.

That’s the only “let’s get started” strategy any company needs.

Stock photos courtesy of Shutterstock.

{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }

Cindy Valladares December 22, 2010 at 6:45 pm

Simple advice, yet very useful to carve out time each day to create/read/comment

David Spark December 22, 2010 at 6:50 pm

Thanks. We are so focused with having a meeting about what we're going to do. Instead, just do and report back results.

Sampath Iyengar December 23, 2010 at 6:47 am

very good article loved reading it

Sampath Iyengar December 23, 2010 at 6:49 am

Excellent article must read #dvcamp

Ryan Eriksson December 23, 2010 at 9:08 am

Totally agree with all the comments here.

As already pinpointed out in the article: “The decision makers, usually the people who have zero social media experience, demand evidence.”

Thank you for this enlightment! Now companies… go out and socialise out there!

:)

Ryan Eriksson
Head of Marketing & Sales
ProQure | Entremattor & Mattservice
(Entrance Mats & Matting Service)

BUSINESS
http://www.proqure.se/?lang=en
http://www.twitter.com/proqure
http://www.facebook.se/proqure

Dr4ward December 23, 2010 at 1:32 pm

Great points.

Also, have the Social Media savvy train others how to use the tools and platforms and extend the reach and engagement even further.

Bill (Dr. William J. Ward) aka @DR4WARD

Blaine Mathieu December 24, 2010 at 10:08 pm

I have experienced the principles discussed here first-hand. To spread my thoughts and engage in discussions regarding multi-channel, connected marketing I recently began a bunch of initiatives. I started a blog site (http://compoundmarketinggroup….), a twitter feed (http://twitter.com/compoundmkt…), and a linkedin group of the same name. After a few weeks it became clear that such a specialized topic would never get enough discussion going on linkedin to justify the group so I shut it down. It's all about learning, iterating, and moving on.

Indian Drives January 4, 2011 at 8:08 am

You covered good topic it's interesting.

Atul Vhale January 4, 2011 at 8:11 am

Planning+ engagement + Conversation + Reading (Learning) + Contribution these are important aspects of social media. Yes, may be there are people just sit around table and just doing plan and instruct under his people without any personal engagement in social media. But if they have no any social media engagement how they qualified for their position.

You covered good topic.

TJ McLarty January 4, 2011 at 8:21 pm

Fan-freaking-tastic article.

Nice to see others get it.

David Spark January 4, 2011 at 8:30 pm

You obviously have excellent taste TJ. :) Make sure you also read the article at the top of my blog right now about 16 annoying communications that must end in 2011. First one is about meetings.

geraldine April 2, 2011 at 3:19 am

decision makers who have no clue about social media? well, that is true. and usually, they are the one demanding if not harassing for their subordinate to come with something 'new'.

geraldine
http://redpenredtemper.info/

David Spark April 2, 2011 at 4:22 pm

I don't get the “come up with something new” argument. I get the “show me the ROI” argument. As I said in a previous article, everyone who ever succeeded in social media didn't first calculate the ROI before they engaged in social media.

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