In the rapidly advancing world of digital technology, a curious, "old school" phenomenon has emerged. People like you and me are using ones and zeroes to connect — and, in some cases, re-connect — with other people.

This time we'll talk about the five steps to a successful social media experience. As always, you can listen to this in audio form on your computer, or sign up for our podcast through iTunes. I'm curious to hear about your thoughts on and experiences with social media so send them to me at sharon@bendingdesign.com.

After all the explosive progress made in telecommunications, it's humans "interfacing" with other humans that's suddenly all the rage. It's called social media. No doubt you're intrigued by it.

There are plenty of opportunities (in addition to learnings) for business and marketing people to find their footing and gain traction in the social media universe. After all, we're well past the days when the goal of every business was simply to have an online presence. That's not enough anymore. So along comes social media and another door opens. But with any new, largely untapped opportunity, you need to go step by step.

Let's first take a look at what social media is. It's any online source that facilitates information sharing and communication amongst individuals. And while it's ripe for promotional strategy and tactics, first things first:

1. Establish your goals - Who do you want to talk to and why? What is the specific desired result? What are you hoping to accomplish (strategically) and how are you going to get there (tactically)? There's a lot of information out there so remember to keep your goals in mind and don't get caught up in the latest thing if it isn't going to work for your organization. Having a bunch of "stuff' out there can result in more search engine referrals but if they get to the "stuff" and don't care about what you're saying, then you run the risk of damaging your brand. It's so important to think about your prospects - what kind of content are they looking for? Where are their virtual hangouts? Knowing what they want and where they are will help you in the next step.
   
   
2. Research various social media websites - Try them out for a month or so. The goal here is not to become a super-user but to understand the basic ebb and flow of information, how content is generated, linked to, etc. You need to become familiar with the interface and terminology of the sites. While reviewing, determine which ones will help you meet your goals.
   
   Websites
   LinkedIn - Primarily a networking site for professionals. While most are familiar with the "connections" feature, in which you can make connections to others, it also offers the ability to create a company page.
   
   Facebook - A virtual place where people gather, become connected and socialize. It's also being used more and more by businesses to promote their offerings.
   
   YouTube - A site where anyone can view, post and comment on videos.
   
   Twitter - A mini-blog site where users post what they're doing and gain a following while following other users.
   
   Flickr - A photo sharing site.

   Tools
   Blog - An online journal that can be maintained by one person or have multiple contributors.
   
   Podcast - An audio file of content that is made available for download.
   
   Wikis - A collection of web pages where anyone with access can contribute or modify content. Wikipedia is the most famous one of these.
   
   This is just the tip of the iceberg. There are many, many networking sites and tools.
   
   

3. Put a plan on paper - Determine which tools will work best. Take one step at a time and prioritize the pieces you are going to engage in. Don't overwhelm yourself by trying to do everything at once; use a stepped approach. That's what we've done. We first put our e-newsletter in place, then started creating our podcasts, and then created the Bending Design Facebook page. We are in the process of developing the next few items in our plan, so be on the lookout for some new and exciting features in the coming months.
   
   
4. Implement - Create profiles on the sites you'll be participating in. Add your latest commercial to YouTube. Get your blog established. Start your podcast.
   
   
5. Monitor - Don't just create a profile and be done with it or you won't get the most out of your efforts. Spend 15 minutes a day monitoring your most active sites. Spend an hour a week creating blog posts, writing reviews or posting a response in a forum. Put these actions into your calendar so you don't slack off. The key is to get as many links as possible to your site to help with search engine rankings and viral marketing. After a few weeks you'll ingrain this into your daily routine it will not only become second nature, but also FUN!

If you need help developing a plan that will work or just feel a little overwhelmed by the whole thing, give me a call or send me a note and we can discuss how you can best utilize social media for your organization.