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10.20.09 Three Tricks to Make Social Media Participation a Habit

by Jay

Submitted by Jay on Tue, 13/10/2009 - 10:42am

The most vigorous protest we hear after suggesting a client step up their social media/marketing efforts: I don't have the time! Well, to be blunt, we're calling BS.

Social media participation is something you already do, whether you realize it or not. The impulses are already there, you just need to redirect the energy. If you're the kind of person who talks back to the television news, if you mutter as you read the paper, if you're always telling friends about an article you read or a program you saw the other night you have the pieces in place.

How can you develop that social media muscle? After you get the infrastructure ready (a blog, podcast, webinar series, etc.) you need to come up with content. Don't sweat it. If you're already engaged in your industry, you have expertise to share in spades. Just take the leap and translate it for the rest of us.

Some tips to make it happen:

1. Don't change what you think, just the way to think about it.
You don't have to blow a microchip coming up with audience-worthy ideas. You already do it. Every time you share a point of view with a peer or client, every time you feel outrage, excitement, or concern, every time you hear yourself saying, "somebody ought to . . ." that's a cue that you're brain is about to provide you with some savory, sharable insights. Start tuning in to your own ability to offer profundity, and take steps to capture it.

2. Make your existing habits and interactions work for you.
Read a daily newspaper. Scroll through your RSS feeds at the same time every day. Schedule a regular lunch conversation with peers. Staying tuned in gives you the raw material from which you can frame your commentary. If you're struggling to come up with ideas, it's often because you're not as engaged as you could be. That doesn't mean taking half the day to absorb trade publications cover to cover, but we can all find five minutes to skim headlines, find something that catches our eye, and then commence pontificating. A little time is enough to construct the stage upon which you'll ultimately stand.

3. Prize quality over quantity, consistency instead of overkill.
There's a place for the prodigious blog poster or weekly podcaster, but don't think you have to keep that kind of pace. A weekly or twice-monthly blog post of substance is often more than adequate. A monthly or even quarterly podcast or video can help you capture a space over time. It may take months, but audiences appreciate a predictable pace rather than the zealot who buries them with messaging for a couple weeks, then disappears.

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10.20.09 Three Tricks to Make Social Media Participation a Habit

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