I am constantly singing the praises of social media to clients, yet I can 
sympathize with people who still seem confused about it.
There is lots of information (see What is your Brand of Social Media Snake Oil?), and a never ending procession of tools and technology; it is not always easy to know where to focus efforts, or what tactics can work for you.
The soothsayers can range from starry-eyed zealots, who preach social media religion, to brutally practical consultants that want to plan, measure and ROI everything to death.
It is great to talk about a new ethos in communications, and to an extent I think there is one. It is hard to argue against the fact that these tools that are forcing more openness, transparency and informality. But I would advise against getting too caught up in the dogma surrounding the field.
In times of rapid change and uncertainty, it pays to stay close to certain basic principles that can guide you and keep you on course. With this (and above) thoughts in mind, I thought I would offer this simple guide. Lest it be dismissed as simplistic, please rest assured that there is more to the story, and it does not tell you everything you will ever need to know in the realm of mastering social media. My hope is that the tips can help organize your efforts and shape your outlook when it comes to putting social media to work for your organization.
In with the In Crowd
In kindergarten, kids tend to stick with those they have some affinity for – the ones they share interests with, or just like.
Similarly, you need to decide whom to “play” with, and where. One of the first steps is to try to get an understanding of which online communities your customers frequent. Are they buttoned down LinkedIn types? More likely to be found on Facebook or MySpace? What blogs or social news sites are rising in importance for your space?
It may not be easy to get answers to these questions, but with a little asking around and digging, you can get a pretty good idea.
Taking Baby Steps
The desire to plan, measure and prove ROI is understandable, especially in tough economic times. However this can become an excuse for doing nothing (see my posts Is ROI Overrated? and Don’t become Social Media Roadkill in your Organization). There are some fairly simple things you can and should be doing, even while trying to cost justify more involved efforts.
Be a Good Listener
There simply is no excuse not to have your ears to the ground, considering the wealth of free services for searching, monitoring and getting alerts from the social Web. The fee-based ones can be worth looking into also, but start with the complimentary tools first to get your feet wet.
Our teams and clients have found that being attuned to the buzz surrounding their spaces can be a profound catalyst for encouraging more social media engagement.
Play, Experiment
Simple play can be a powerful agent for learning. Similarly, amidst rapid change it is a mistake to get attached to any single tool or tactic, and good advice to be both receptive (but also selective) regarding new ones.
There will always be the next, shiny new social media “toy” out there. E.g., Twitter was not even a factor three years ago. A year or two ago, it was the tool for geeks. Now it has crossed the chasm into the mainstream, and the importance of Twitter cannot be denied. Those who took the time to master Twitter early on are arguably in a better position now than the newbies.
So, you need to be vigilant for technologies that can forward your communications goals, be willing to dive in, and do a certain amount of handicapping.
Reciprocation, The Golden Rule
As you become more involved with commenting on blogs, tweeting, Facebooking, etc., you inevitably will connect with like-minded people. They can become force multipliers for your content, and share the info “wealth,” especially when you show your willingness to do the same for them.
One good retweet or Digg deserves another. Linking to someone on your blog or adding them to your blogroll can encourage them to do the same for you.
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