Start with a real conversation

Social Media can be easy to jump into, especially where platforms are easy to use and update (think Twitter). The risk of this is that you can be left with accounts which aren't often updated, or lack value add content. Or, that the channel is only an additional way to push out information which can be found on the web.

Starting with a real conversation means that you are more likely to see social media as part of the wider marketing and development of your business. It joins up what you want to achieve, what is working for you already, and where your prospects and other industry leaders are involved online.

It's also the strategic edge of social media marketing. It's the smart conversation where you involve and engage internally, and join up the dots so that when you do get started, everyone is "singing off the same hymn sheet".

Some useful tips to help you to do this are:

• Talk about who uses social media already and how they see it fitting with your firms strategy
• Facilitate an open conversation about the different goals and uses of social media for your company
• Open up the conversation about how using social media to market your company fits with how you allow or expect employees to use social media.
  

It also creates an open atmosphere, which considering our goal is "social" is an excellent starting point to your social engagement.