3 questions to guide your social media success

If you can’t answer these questions, you’re doing something wrong.

The pace of change is breathtaking, and the feedback loop is instantaneous. This creates a culture of disproportionate attention to detail. So much has been written about the mechanics of social media marketing in the past year that I fear we’re losing sight of the horizon.

My aunt, the brilliant corporate trainer Jeanne Baer, uses the analogy of sand and rocks. We tend to pay too much attention to sand, because it sticks between your toes and annoys you and is everywhere. We pay too little attention to rocks, because they’re big and heavy and hard to move.

As you get another year under way with optimistic expectations to take your social and content initiatives to new heights, you should recognize that rocks, not sand, will dictate whether you’ll achieve your objectives.

Make sure you can answer these three “rock” questions at all times in 2013. If you can, the sand will take care of itself.

1. How does social media make us money, and how can we prove that?

The goal isn’t to be good at social media; the goal is to be good at business because of social media.

To read the full story, log in.
Become a Ragan Insider member to read this article and all other archived content.
Sign up today

Already a member? Log in here.
Learn more about Ragan Insider.