The social media waters: Should your brand wade in or swan dive?

We often find clients anxious to participate in social communities without understanding the investment of resources that goes into valuable social participation. Because there is so much buzz around social, and because starting a social account takes only seconds, it’s uber-tempting to just jump in and shoot from the hip. Easy, cowboy. How many of your other marketing efforts would you approach like this? Relationships are the rewards of a valuable social presence; and you should know by now that good relationships don’t just happen when you decide to jump into one. Valuable social presence requires strategy just as being able to kick a ball hard won’t win you the World Cup. Recognize the importance of your soon-to-be relationships, the commitment it will take to grow them, and the opportunity it provides you to put your A-game out there. Then consciously decide to go all in on your terms. This list will help you gauge your commitment to having a valuable online presence: 9 Things to do Before Entering Social Media Do you have a social success story where planning a bit of strategy up front saved you from disaster? Are you running a social presence now? If so, what sort of a time commitment has worked well for you? Please comment below. [Flickr image from °Florian]