‘Social media is a beast’ – So how can your business tame it?

Note: The Skinny blog is written by Rick Smith, editor and co-founder of Local Tech Wire and business editor of WRAL.com.

DURHAM, N.C. – “Social media is a beast that cannot be avoided.”

Amen, brother.

Executives from across the Triangle gathered for an interactive panel discussion Tuesday about “Social Media and Your Business.” After presentations from Mr. LinkedIn for the Triangle (also known as Chuck Hester, communications director at iContact and the creator of LinkedIn Live Raleigh events), and a Q&A involving four players in the social media space, the audience peppered the group with challenges and queries about the rights, wrongs, opportunities and obstacles in using social media tools.

In the spirit of messaging and listening, The Skinny chose to ask attendees at the Local Tech Wire Executive Exchange event to share their most important takeaways. As the first cited above indicates, social media – Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn, YouTube, and more – is rapidly assuming a prominent if not dominant tool in media marketing. It’s not just personal; it’s business.

Just like effective tweets, most are short but offer some keen insight. Here are some of the attendees’ thoughts:

• “The bullhorn no longer works.”

• “Listen, listen, observe, crawl before you jump into it.”

• “Customer advocates can be the best defense against social media ‘trash talkers.’”

• “Feedback … feedback … feedback – It gives unhappy customers a chance to sound off. So you can take actions to recover. Way better than letting this spring negative press.”

• “Go slow. Listen a lot before you speak.

• “Establish relationships before setting your agenda.”

• “Social media is a tool. It does not replace all other marketing and media.”

• “Transparency is very important, but creativity is what makes a big difference.”

• “Engaging in the conversation is more helpful rather than just springing out constant messages.”

• “Don’t be scared of social media.”

• “Among the social media panel and the audience, there is still no agreement. I think it is showing how painful this is for everybody.”

• “Take your core marketing strategy and use social media as another tool.”

• “Establish relationships with your social media community before you promote your business brand.”

• “Social media is an opportunity to honestly develop a relationship. That relationship is integral to your community. It is trust.”

• “Be authentic at all times!”

• “Correct usage and limits for social media” need to be defined by a business before using them.

• “Information can spread quickly through social media.”

• “Using social media effectively: Being consistent.”

• “Focusing social media on your target, using the appropriate voice and engaging …”

• “Social media is a community of relationships”

• “Listen and don’t send one-way messages.”

• “Old folks can do it, too!”

• “Determine your audience; select your best channel to reach them.”

• [Key points to develop internally]: “Awareness about growth prospects, policing.”

• “The importance of treating connections as real people you want relationships with.”

• “Don’t be afraid of social media. It represents an excellent opportunity to connect with your customers and provide superior customer service.”

• “[The discussion] confirmed my thoughts about the tools – they’re just the latest pipe. All the basics of marketing and interpersonal communications still apply.”

In addition to Hester, other panelists included: Delisa Reavis of ChannelAdvisor, Jeremy Smith, former CEO and co-founder at Twine Interactive, Booby McDonald of MMI Public Relations and Peter Wylie of Three Ships Media.

Following the panel discussion, LTW then played host to a LinkedIn Live Raleigh event for face-to-face social media interaction. That event drew well over 250 people.

As the attendance at this event and the turnout as well as the good give-and-take at the Exchange event clearly showed, social media is a beast. If tamed and trained, its power can transform your business. If unleashed untrained and unrestrained and not watched, user beware.

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