Media Emerging

In 2009, more companies added “social media director” to the org chart. Check out Lisa Hoffmann’s post on how she got a job in social media.

Wanna compete for one of those jobs? You better have social media chops, for sure. That’s a given. But it’s the intangibles, not the social media stuff, that determines whether you’ll succeed.

Here are some traits you’ll need to run an effective social media program:

Leadership

You’re gonna ask colleagues — many with years of experience on you — to buy into a new paradigm. These are people who’ve done their jobs one way for years. To make it worse, you’re the new kid on the block. Earning the trust of your co-workers is no easy feat.

A good leader must have compassion, vision, thick skin, patience, and a natural ability to command confidence. Check out what Amber said about growing into leadership.

Vision

Most social media efforts start piecemeal: Somebody starts a Facebook page. Somebody else starts another one. Somebody dabbles in blogging for a few months.

Your job is to provide strategic direction. You’ll need to think like a CEO. You’ll need to know where the company is headed and where social media fits in that picture. Think long-term and approach problem-solving from a corporate, rather than departmental, point-of-view.

Most of all, you’ll need to make choices. You’re gonna have to say no sometimes. You’ll disappoint people. Without a clear vision, making those tough decisions is even harder.

Diplomacy

Marketing wants to push a campaign message…hard. Legal wants to box you in to minimize risk. IT thinks your plan is a security threat. HR is worried about employee productivity. And you’re in charge of navigating this minefield.

Your job as social media director isn’t just to update Facebook and Twitter. You also have to teach. A lot. You’ll need to know when to stand firm, and when to compromise. Managing competing directives and diverse personalities will be you’re biggest challenge by far.

Business Sense

Boss: “We’re getting crushed in the Hispanic market. Our market share is down 18% in three years. It’s costing us $3 million a year. Ideas?”

You: “We need to focus on engagement. Join the conversation. By being more authentic and participating in community, we can connect and share.”

Boss: “Who hired you? They’re fired. So are you.”

‘Nuff said.

Dedication

It will take longer to achieve goals than you anticipate, I guarantee it. Be patient. Celebrate mile-marker victories. Keep your vision always in sight, though.

Change takes time, team members come and go, and progress is never a straight line. If you don’t have a high tolerance for roadblocks, you may want to question whether you want a social media director gig.

Ambition

If you wanna sit at a desk and Tweet all day, forget it. Get off your duff! You have internal stakeholders to win over, IT heroes to befriend, a finance director to woo, employees to (re)train, memos to respond to, long meetings to sit through (and shorten), presentations to prepare, vendors to screen, job candidates to interview, travel arrangements to make, and progress reports to complete.

Still wanna get that Facebook update out? Better hustle!

Social media training workshops are everywhere. In Charlotte, social media classes are more popular than Starbucks. Some of them are valuable, some are not.

Will a social media class will be worth your time and money? How do you evaluate a class you’re considering?

It’s hard to know which social media training seminars are worthwhile, but these questions might help guide you.

(P.S. I’m teaching an entry-level Facebook for Your Business class and Twitter for Your Business class in partnership with Your Community Connector. I’ll also have a one-day, intensive Social Media Bootcamp in May..details soon. Feel free to ask around about my credentials…I’m trouble, but I’m worth it.)

How to Tell if a Social Media Training Class is a Good Value

Content:

• Is it a “Social Media 101″ workshop? An advanced social media class?
• Does the class focus on social media theory or social media how-to?
• Does the class explore the social media tools/channels you’re interested in? (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, blogging, other tools)
• Will the presenter give specific and practical tips for using social media effectively?
• Will there be case studies? Are they relevant and explanatory? Do they showcase specific industries, tools, business size, etc?
• Will the sessions be business-focused? Personal-focused? A mix?

Presenters:

• What are the presenter(s)’ credentials?
• Do presenters “know their stuff” about social media?
• Do the affiliations and credentials offered have any relevance or value?
• Who vouches for the presenters? Do you trust/value those endorsements?
• Have presenters led successful social media programs or projects?
• Do presenters “eat their own dogfood” — that is, do they have their own blog, Twitter account, etc? How active are they in online communities?
• Do the presenters have expertise beyond social media? In marketing, PR, human relations, finance, or operations, for example?
• Are the presenters active members of Social Media Charlotte (or a similar organization in your town)?

Audience:

• Who will be attending the event? Is the content tailored to the audience, or is it pre-packaged fluff?
• Is the event industry-specific? Does it serve businesses of a certain size?
• Is this for C-Level executives? Entrepreneurs? Mid-level directors and managers? Junior employees?
• Do attendees’ social media experience levels span a broad range? Or is it more specific — newbies, for example, or advanced learners?
• Do attendees want to use social media for personal activities? For work? Both?

Setting

• Is the event venue conducive to learning?
• Does it have free wi-fi or another suitable Internet connection?
• Does the venue have adequate A/V capabilities?
• Will the event include space/time for networking?
• Is there a #hashtag for the event?

Price:

• How much does the class cost? Free? $20? $200? $1000? $4995?
• Does the value of the [content] + [speakers] + [networking opportunities] measure up against the cost?
• Would a more expensive class be a better value? What about a lower-priced class?
• Will you have to attend multiple low-priced events to learn what you would learn in one mid-priced event?

Post-Event:

• Will there be a workbook, educational materials or other takeaways to continue your learning?
• Is there an online community for event attendees?
• What type of support will the event host/presenter offer after the event?
• Is there a “next step” class?