Social media primer

News flash: Social media is here to stay

If you’ve been hoping against hope that 2008 would bring the mysterious disappearance of social media, we’re sorry. That’s just not going to happen.

1. Podcasts must offer content that employees care about. Having your CEO read the quarterly financial report is not a podcast. Interviewing him about the highlights—and what they mean to the worker—is.

2. Podcasts and blogs must be conversational in tone. Reading from a script in a podcast or reprinting that boring CEO column as a blog won’t work. It is strictly forbidden.

3. Podcasts and blogs must be interactive and encourage comments—including critical ones. Like all social media, creating and feeding the conversation is paramount. Top-down communication won’t work. “You need to cover good and bad news or your credibility is sunk.”

4. Have fun. If you’re launching a podcast, think big. Imagine that you’re Ira Glass of the radio show This American Life. The only difference: You are creating riveting stories about your organization.

5. Don’t sweat the technical stuff. From choosing the right equipment to editing the final show, anyone can do it—most of the tools are free. One digital recorder used by many corporate podcasters costs less than $20.

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.