Jump on with these 5 easy tips.

It has become clear to public relations practitioners that social media is not going anywhere. It is a major tool that can, if used correctly, help an organization grow and become more involved with its audience. Heather Lutz, CEO of The Findability Group, wrote a great piece on five ways to implement social media into your company. Check out her article on the Bulldog Reporter here http://bit.ly/eIG0lY.

  1. Get it in writing. The first strategy Heather suggested was to outline what your company thinks is appropriate to be on social media outlets and what is not. Write up a guideline that suggests topics that employees can talk about and certain things that they should stay away from such as salary information. If employees know what they should stay away from they will be more likely to post something positive about the company.
  2. Give access to certain people first. Start by granting access to the companies social media outlets to only a select few employees. Consider this a trial run. This will allow you to see what works, what doesn’t and how your company can improve. Not to mention it will show you what your audience is talking about. After you have started people on your social media sites Lutz suggests that you allow them to become advocates for your company. Don’t just stop with one group, select a different group of people to see what they talk about, who they talk to and what is being said about your company. You can adjust any policies around the findings from these groups. The main thing is to join the conversation, but to know what and why you are there.
  3. Everyone loves something for nothing. Make it worth your audience’s time. Reward whoever is in the conversation. Lutz says to make it fun. Try giving away your product or service, giving a discount or conducting a contest. Entice the audience in an engaging way. This is more likely to illicit a positive response about your organization.
  4. Consider all your staff’s needs. Lutz recommends to consult your IT department before delving into the social media world. Opening up online is an amazing tool to connect but remember that it lets down your company’s firewalls. Most big businesses have hired a full-time position to manage their social media tools. Lutz suggests that you should start planning for social media now.
  5. No one is too important to join in. Take a cue from GM and encourage everyone in the company, no matter how big or small, to engage in social media for the company. GM’s CEO blogs for the car giant. Heather stated that seeing the head of the company will help all employees become a part of the different social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook or a blog.

Social media is the future and it is not going away. The sooner we embrace it, the better.

Check out more of Heather at http://www.heatherlutze.com/.